Nanocrystalline Au:Ag:SnO2 films prepared by pulsed magnetron sputtering

Influence of annealing temperature on structural, compositional, surface morphology, electrical, and optical properties of pulsed magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline Au:Ag:SnO2 films was investigated by several analytical techniques. From the XRD results, the films were polycrystalline with the absence of impurity phases and the films were grown preferentially in the (110) orientation of SnO2 with tetragonal structure. The surface smoothness and grain size of the films increases with annealing temperature. Photoluminescence measurements show that the as deposited Au:Ag:SnO2 films exhibited a broad emission peak at 536 nm (2.31 eV). The lowest electrical resistivity of 0.005 Omega cm was obtained at the films annealed at 500 degrees C. The optical studies show that the visible transmittance and band gap of the films increases with annealing temperature. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.