Experimentation and simulation of tin oxide deposition on glass based on the SnCl4 hydrolysis in an in-line atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor

Tin oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrates in an in-line atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition reactor under various conditions, which were numerically simulated using a commercial package. A soda-lime glass sheet was used as a deposition substrate, and SnCl4 and H2O in gas phase were separately supplied as the precursor and the oxidizer, respectively. By assuming that the main chemical reactions followed the Rideal-Eley mechanism, the experimentally determined deposition rates were fitted to obtain the reaction factors needed to describe the deposition process. The role of barrier gas injection for minimizing unwanted surface reaction or particle generation inside of the reactor, and not on the target (glass backplane itself) has been elucidated. Furthermore, the optimal operating conditions for the deposition on glass with the additives such as CH3OH and HF have been investigated.