Microstructural and Optical Properties of SnO Thin Film by Thermal Evaporation

Abstract:

In this work, we present results about the preparation and characterization of stannous oxide (SnO) thin films. SnO thin films were obtained via thermal evaporation method from SnO₂ powder as source material. These thin films were successfully deposited onto well cleaned glass substrates by thermal evaporation technique. The as deposited thin films were of thickness of 2500 Å and film were post-deposition annealed in air ambient at 400°C for 20 min and 40 min, respectively in a furnace. As-deposited films are highly conductive and p type. The best p-type SnO film annealed at 400 °C for 40 min shows a resistivity of 1.05 Ω·cm and a relatively high hole concentration of 2 × 10¹⁷ cm³ at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of annealed films exhibit a polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure without preferred orientation. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image shows the presence of uniformly dispersed spherical in shaped SnO particles. The mean grain sizes (diameter) are calculated to be about 80 and 100 nm for the p-type SnO films prepared at 400 °C for 20 min, and 40 min, respectively. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the SnO film exhibit two emission bands, around the wavelength of 300 nm and 450 nm. All spectra were measured at room temperature.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 795)
• Pages: 558-562
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.795.558
• Online since: September 2013
• Authors: Lee Siang Chuah, Z. Mohamed, Zainuriah Hassan
• Keywords: p-Type Conduction, Semiconducting II–VI Material, SnO, Thermal Evaporation

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