Structural, optical and electrical properties of Cd-doped SnO2 thin films grown by RF reactive magnetron co-sputtering

Transparent conducting SnO2:Cd thin films were prepared by RF reactive magnetron co-sputtering on glass slides at a substrate temperature of 500 °C using CdO as cadmium source. The films were deposited under a mixed argon/oxygen atmosphere. The structural, optical and electrical properties were analyzed as a function of the Cd amount in the target. The X-ray diffraction shows that polycrystalline films were grown with both the tetragonal and orthorhombic phases of SnO2. The obtained films have high transmittance and conductivity. The figure of merit of SnO2:Cd films are in the order of 10−3 Ω−1, which suggests that these films can be considered as candidates for transparent electrodes.

► The physical properties of SnO2:Cd were investigated as a function of the doping level. ► The obtained films have high transmittance and conductivity. ► The SnO2:Cd films have potential as transparent electrodes.