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Crystalline Grains and Electrical Properties of Vacuumevaporated SnO2 Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

W. K. Man
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering & Materials Technology Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
H. Yan
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering & Materials Technology Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
S. P. Wong
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering & Materials Technology Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
T. K. S. Wong
Affiliation:
School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
I. H. Wilson
Affiliation:
Department of Electronic Engineering & Materials Technology Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Abstract

We have studied grain growth and electrical properties of polycrystalline tin oxide (SnO2) thin films prepared by vacuum-evaporation with a two-step process: evaporation of tin metal films and then oxidation of these metal films. Surface morphology of the SnO2 thin films was observed by atomic force microscopy. The grain size of the SnO2 thin films is found to increase with the film thickness and oxidation temperature. Kinetics of the grain growth is discussed in terms of a 3-dimensional diffusion limited process. The diode current-voltage (I-V) characteristic of the SnO2/Si heterojunctions (isotype and anisotype) was measured in the temperature range of 14K-383K. Changes in the diode ideality factor and threshold voltage with temperature are discussed. In addition, we present ambient tunnelling I-V results measured from individual SnO2 grains.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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