Temperature characteristics of SnO2∶F transparent conductive thin film

SnO₂ transparent conductive thin film has been widely used in the electrodes of solar cell, gas sensor, and heating field etc. This film can be easily prepared on the surface of glass, quartz, porcelain etc. at high temperature by spraying SnCl₄ solution. We prepared SnO₂:F film by using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. However, the resistance of the film will become unstable when the temperature is over 400degC, this weakness blocked the application of SnO₂ film as a thermoelectric materials. We studied the stability of SnO₂:F thin film at different temperature ranges. The conductivity of the film changed slightly when the temperature was below 200degC. When the film worked at the temperature interval of 200 to 600degC, its conductivity would become lower and lower. And the conductivity would increase when the temperature was higher than 600degC and lower than 700degC. If the temperature was higher than 800degC, the film´s resistance would rise acutely, and could not be reduced, because the thin film had been destroyed. According to the foregoing phenomena, we developed an annealing technology, and the resistance of the film treated with this technology would be relatively stable below 600degC.