Morphological studies of SnO2 thin films fabricated by using e-beam method

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2013 May;13(5):3446-50. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2013.7266.

Abstract

This paper studies the variations in morphology of SnO2 nanostructures thin films deposited by using e-beam technique with the substrate temperature, oxygen partial pressure and the film thickness. The e-beam conditions were optimized to get crystalline nanosheets of SnO2. The films of 100-700 nm thickness were deposited on quartz substrates at temperatures ranging from room temperature (RT) to 300 degrees C and oxygen partial pressure ranging from 0 to 200 sccm. The nanostructured films have been characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements. XRD results show that the films deposited at RT and 100 degrees C were amorphous, however, for 200 degrees C and 300 degrees C, the films showed crystalline nature with rutile structure. Also, the crystallinity increased with the increase of oxygen partial pressure. FE-SEM images revealed that at RT and 100 degrees C of substrate temperature, the film consist of spherical particles, whereas, the films deposited at 200 degrees C and 300 degrees C consist of sheet like morphology having thickness -40 nm and lateral dimension of 1 microm, respectively. The size of the nanosheets increased with the increase of substrate temperature and oxygen partial pressure due to the enhancement in the crystallinity of the films. A possible growth mechanism of the formation of SnO2 nanosheets is discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electrons
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Macromolecular Substances / radiation effects
  • Materials Testing
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Molecular Conformation / radiation effects
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / radiation effects
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Surface Properties / radiation effects
  • Tin Compounds / chemistry*
  • Tin Compounds / radiation effects

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Tin Compounds
  • stannic oxide
  • Oxygen