Low temperature deposition of SnO2 thin films as transparent electrodes by spray pyrolysis of tetra-n-butyltin(IV)

Low temperature deposition of SnO2 thin films from tetra-n-butyltin(IV) was investigated by a spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) technique. The substrate temperature was successfully reduced as low as 340°C by adding H2O2 to the source solution. The role of H2O2 is to promote SnO2 formation not only by inducing an oxygen atmosphere during the pyrolysis of tetra-n-butyltin(IV) but also by producing tin peroxide complexes in the source solution. The average transmittance of the film exceeded 80% in the visible light region, and the electrical resistivity was lowered to 1.5×10−3 Ω cm, which is attributed to the high crystallinity. These findings lead to the possibility that a new substrate with lower melting point would be applicable to this SPD technique.