Structural and photoluminescence characterization of SnO2: F thin films deposited by advanced spray pyrolysis technique at low substrate temperature

Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates, at different substrate temperatures using advanced spray pyrolysis technique. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the crystallinity of the thin films increased with increasing substrate temperature. FESEM and AFM studies support the conclusions drawn from X-ray diffraction studies. X-ray photoelectron studies confirm oxygen deficiency in formation of the FTO nanocrystallites. The photoluminescence of the FTO films were investigated. It was found that, room temperature photoluminescence spectra are dominated by oxygen vacancies and exhibit a rich violet photoluminescence band about ∼404 nm with an extensively feeble red emission about 700 nm. The Photoluminescence intensity varies with the substrate temperature. The photoemission position is observed to be independent of substrate temperature.