Fluorine-doped SnO2 thin films deposited on polymer substrate for flexible transparent electrodes

Fluorine-doped SnO2 (FTO) thin films are deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis on preheated polyimide (PI) substrates. Their structural, electro-optical and electro-mechanical properties are investigated versus both growth temperature and film thickness. FTO thin films exhibit textured columnar grain morphology and preferred orientations along the < 101 >, < 301 >, < 211 > and < 200 > are favored depending on growth temperature and film thickness. The films deposited on PI substrate at 380 degrees C present the best compromise in terms of electro-optical properties with a low electrical resistivity of 8.9 x 10(-4) Omega cm, a mobility of 17.9 cm(2)/V.s combined with an optical transmittance up to 79.4% at 780 nm. Eventually, a figure of merit of 2.3 x 10(-3)Omega(-1) is obtained. The electro-mechanical properties are studied during controlled fatigue testing and analyzed according to the energy-based Griffith's criterion. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.