Studying Effect of Mg Doping on the Structural Properties of Tin Oxide Thin Films Deposited by the Spray Pyrolysis Technique

Abstract

Mg doped tin oxide transparent conducting thin films were deposited at a substrate temperature of 450°C by spray pyrolysis method. Structural properties of the films were investigated as a function of various Mg-doping levels from 0 to 9wt% while all other deposition parameters such as substrate temperature, spray rate, carrier gas pressure and distance between spray nozzle to substrate were kept constant. The results of x-ray diffraction have shown that the deposited films are polycrystalline structure in tetragonal phase with preferential orientations along the (101), (301), and (211) planes. The relative intensities, distance between crystalline planes (d), crystallite size (D), dislocation density (ẟ) and lattice parameters (a), (c) were determined. The variations of the surface morphology have been studied by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).

Keywords: Thin films, Magnesium doped Tin Oxide, Spray pyrolysis, Structural properties, Scanning electron microscope.