Optoelectronic Properties of Fluorine and Cobalt Co-Doped Tin Oxide Thin Films Deposited by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis

Abstract

Transparent conducting Cobalt-fluorine co-doped tin oxide (SnO 2 : (Co, F)) thin filmswere deposited onto preheated glass substrates using the chemical spray pyrolysis method. The ([Co 2+ ]/[Sn 4+ ]) atomic concentration ratio (y)in the spray solution was varied between 0 and 5 at. %. The structural, electrical, optical and photoluminescence properties of these films were studied. It is found that the thin films are polycrystalline with a tetragonal crystal structure corresponding to SnO 2 phase having a preferred orientation along the (200) plane. Transmission and reflection spectra reveal the presence of interference fringes indicating thickness uniformity and surface homogeneity of the deposited thin films. The electrical resistivity (ρ), volume carrier concentration density (N v ), surface carrier concentration density (N s ) and Hall mobility (μ) of the synthesized thin films were determined from the Hall Effect measurements in the Van der Paw-configuration and the following results were obtained: n-type conductivity in all deposited films, a low resistivity of 1.16×10 -2 Ω.cm, and a high Hall mobility of 15.13×10 2 cm 2 .V -1 .s -1 with Co concentration equals to 3 at. %. These results show that the electrical properties of these thin films where greatly improved making them suitable as ohmic contact in photovoltaic application devices.