Field-emission properties of nanocrystalline tin oxide films

The room temperature field-emission properties of tin oxide films have been studied. The samples were prepared on Si and glass substrates using the spray deposition technique using vapors of pentahydrated stannic chloride and ethanol diluted in hydrogen. Raman and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses have been carried out to study the relation between the surface morphology and chemical composition with the emission properties of the samples. It was found that the deposition temperature has a dramatic influence on the electron field-emission properties. This effect is explained in terms of the temperature dependence of the hydrolysis reaction to form n-type SnO2 grains and the increase of the film roughness with the temperature.