Optical and electrical characterization of tin(II) 2,3-naphthalocyanine thin films containing agglomerated spherical particles

Vacuum deposited tin(II)2,3-naphthalocyanine (SnNc) crystalline thin films were produced. The structural properties of the thin films were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which reveals traces of organic compounds within the as-deposited films. Surface morphological studies by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were done and the films were found to be grainy in nature, comprising of small agglomerated spherical particles. Heat treatment decreased the optical band gap of the films due to the dependence of dilatation of the lattice and/or electron-lattice interaction. The electrical conductivity of the films at various heat treated stages shows that SnNc has a better conductivity by 10–50 times that of its earlier reported phthalocyanine counterpart and the activation energy was found to increase with annealing temperature.