Oxygen partial pressure dependence physical properties of Nanocrystalline dc magnetron sputtered tin oxide thin films

Nanocrystalline tin oxide (SnO2) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique under various oxygen partial pressures. The films composition was nearly stoichiometery at the oxygen partial pressure of 7x10-4 mbar. XRD pattern reveals that the films are polycrystalline nature and (110) plane was predominant. The size of grains becomes bigger and spherical in shape with increasing of the oxygen partial pressure. The films show high optical transmittance of 93% at the oxygen partial pressure of 7x10-4mbar. The electrical resistivity of the films was decreases with increasing the oxygen partial pressure.