Tin oxide thin layers obtained by vacuum evaporation of tin and annealing under oxygen flow

Tin dioxide layers have been prepared by vacuum evaporation of tin on ordinary glass substrates. Thickness of the deposited tin layers was 500 or 1000 Å. Enrichment in oxygen was ensured by a thermal annealing at temperatures between 300 and 500 °C, for 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h. The layers were characterized using X-ray diffraction, environmental scanning electron microscopy and EDX analysis and conductivity by the 4 point method. Oxygen enrichment of these films during annealing at high temperature induces the formation of the nanocrystalline tin oxide.