Control of tin oxide film morphology by addition of hydrocarbons to the chemical vapour deposition process

• Published in: Thin solid films 2010-12, Vol.519 (4), p.1334-1340
• Main Authors: Yates, H.M., Evans, P., Sheel, D.W., Remes, Z., Vanecek, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol; Atmospheric pressure; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Chemical vapour deposition; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition; Elongation; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Methyl alcohol; Morphology; Physics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Thin films; Tin oxide; Tin oxides
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.09.037

In this paper we have shown that it is possible to modify and control the surface morphology of doped SnO 2 transparent conducting oxide thin films deposited by atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition by use of additives during the deposition process. A range of volatile organic compounds were explored, which caused changes of differing magnitude to the growth rates, crystallographic preferences, size and shape of the surface features and optical transmittance. Of the additives tested methanol and tertiary butanol were found to have the most significant influence allowing the surface to be modified from small, round features to much more elongated, sharp, pyramidal features.