Preparation of high quality spray-deposited fluorine-doped tin oxide thin films using dilute di(n-butyl)tin(iv) diacetate precursor solutions

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were prepared, at different substrate temperatures, using dilute precursor solutions of di(n-butyl)tin(iv) diacetate (0.1 M DBTDA) by varying the F− concentration in the solution. It is noticed that conductivity of FTO film is increasing by increasing the fluorine amount in the solution. Morphology of SEM image reveals that grain size and its distribution are totally affected by the substrate temperature in which conductivity is altered. Among these FTO films, the best film obtained gives an electronic conductivity of 31.85 × 102 Ω− 1 cm− 1, sheet resistance of 4.4 Ω/□ (ρ = 3.14 × 10− 4 Ω cm) with over 80% average normal transmittance between the 400 and 800 nm wavelength range. The best FTO film consists of a large distribution of grain sizes from 50 nm to 400 nm range and the optimum conditions used are 0.1 M DBTDA, 0.3 M ammonium fluoride, in a mixture of propan-2-ol and water, at 470 °C substrate temperature. The large distribution of grain sizes can be easily obtained using low DBTDA concentration (~ 0.1 M or less) and moderate substrate temperature (470 °C).

► F-doped SnO2 (FTO) thin films prepared using di(n-butyl)tin(iv) diacetate (DBTDA).
► Substrate temperature and DBTDA concentration affect grain size and distribution.
► Large distribution of grain sizes can optimize the conductivity of FTO film.
► 0.1 M DBTDA, substrate temperature of 470 °C allows a large grain size distribution