Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of Sb-doped SnO2 nanoparticles used as transparent conductive films

Sb-doped SnO2 (ATO) nanoparticles was synthesized at different temperatures by the solvothermal route, starting with SnCl4·5H2O and SbCl3. The samples were characterized by means of XRD, Mössbauer spectroscopy and TEM, the specific surface area and resistivity of samples were examined, respectively. Results showed that the mean crystallite size and resistivity of the samples increased and decreased, respectively, with the increase of the solvothermal temperature. The lowest resistivity of the samples was found at 160 °C, and Mössbauer spectroscopy showed that the content of Sb5+ in these samples was the highest. TEM showed that the powder was monodispersed in the range of 8–15 nm particles size. Sb-doped SnO2 thin films were prepared by spin coating process on corning 7059 glass using the ethanol suspensions of Sb-doped SnO2 nanoparticles and the Hall mobility μ, the carrier concentration n, the sheet resistance R□ and the transmission spectra of the films were measured and investigated.