Nanocrystalline antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) thin films: A thermal restructuring study

► Sputtered ATO film properties are determined by the oxygen partial pressure during preparation. ► Low oxygen content in the sputter gas results in a (101) preferential orientation. ► High oxygen content in the sputter gas results in a (110) preferential orientation. ► Oxygen vacancies in the lattice reduce the optical transmittance and refractive index. ► Annealing processes enhance the ATO film conductivity.