Opto-electronic properties of SnO2 layers obtained by SPD and ECD techniques

The paper presents a comparative approach concerning the properties of SnO2 thin layers obtained via spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) and electro-chemical deposition (ECD). The influences of crystalline structure (X-ray diffraction), morphology (atomic force microscopy, contact angle) on the electric (electrical conductivity) properties of the layers were studied. The SPD samples present a porous morphology with high surface energy compared with ECD samples characterized by a dense morphology. The photocatalytic efficiency of the samples was tested in the photodegradation of methylene blue and the higher values (57%) correspond to SPD samples.