High surface textured SnO2 hybrid thin films fabricated using the nozzle-spraying process for solar cell applications

High-texture surface tin oxide transparent conductive oxide thin films were directly deposited using the atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition technique on nanoparticle-coated glass substrates. A simple nozzle-spraying process was developed for the tin oxide nanoparticle coating process for the high-texture tin oxide thin films. The nozzle-spraying process caused the surface morphology of the tin oxide films to change from a pyramidal shape to a flower-like double texture. The optimum nanoparticle-coated tin oxide thin films have a haze value of 35.0 ± 4.0% and an average visible optical transmittance of 80.6 ± 2.2% in the wavelength range of 400-900 nm. The carrier concentration and mobility of the film were 1.3 ± 0.3 × 1020 cm−3 and 4.0 ± 0.6 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively. The morphological evolution of the tin oxide thin films was apparent on the hetero-surface of the amorphous glass and multicrystalline tin oxide nanoparticle. This result indicates that the crystalline tin oxide nanoparticle has an important role in the fabrication of the flower-like double texture, and the texture tin oxide thin films are promising transparent conductive oxide materials for thin film solar cells.