EFFECT OF OXYGEN FLOW RATE ON STRUCTURAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF SnO2 THIN FILMS PREPARED BY APCVD TECHNIQUE

Thin films of tin oxide were deposited on glass substrates at temperature 400 degrees C under various flow rates of oxygen using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition method (APCVD). The synthesized thin films were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), UV-VIS spectrophotometer and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) to study the structural and optical properties. The results of X-ray diffraction showed that the crystallite size in these thin films were varied as a result of varying deposition conditions, and the average crystalline size was found using Scherrer equation which showed decreasing with decreasing the flow rate within (4-8 NL/h). FE-SEM images of the films showed that the particle size for two samples were 24.2 and 32.3 nm which corresponding to flow rates 4 and 5 NL/h respectively. The optical band gaps of the films were in the rang (3.72-4.1 eV).