Influence of film thickness and substrate on the growth of sprayed SnO₂:F films

Abstract

SnO2:F films of thicknesses up to 0.5 mu m were deposited by spray pyrolysis on different substrates-Corning 7059, soda-lime glass, Si(111), polycrystalline silicon and amorphous silicon. The influence of film thickness, as well as the substrate nature and morphology, on the growth of the films was studied using an X-ray diffraction technique. The results on preferred growth were analysed using the texture coefficient TC (hkl). It was observed that as the film grows in thickness, the preferred growth (texture) improves up to a particular thickness, beyond which reorientational effects are observed. As a result, the thicker films have a deteriorated texture. The influence of the substrate in governing the growth of the film is noticed up to a certain thickness, beyond which the growth becomes substrate independent. Among the substrates mentioned above, Corning 7059 seems to have the least influence on the growth of the films. Films deposited on Corning 7059 under optimized conditions possess the strongest preferred growth along (200).