Structural and optical properties of Zn-doped SnO2 films prepared by DC and RF magnetron co-sputtering

In the present work, the Zn-doped SnO2 (SnO2:Zn) thin films, with different Zn-doping concentration, were successfully prepared on Si (100) and glass substrates by direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering. The effects of dopant concentration, determined by the sputtering power applied on Zn target, on the structural, photoluminescent and optical performances of Zn-doped SnO2 films were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX),high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) and Ultraviolet-VisibleNear IR spectroscopy. The results show all these films exhibited excellent crystalline quality with tetragonal rutile structure. Two photoluminescence (PL) peaks related to Zn-doping were detected at about 351 nm (3.53 eV) and 369 nm (3.36 eV). Moreover, the average transmittance and the band gap energy of the films continuously decreased from 85% to 75% and from 3.52 eV to 334 eV, respectively, with the increase of the doping level. The excellent properties of Zn-doped SnO2 films make them capable for wider applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.