Multifractal formation studies of layer-by-layer deposited silver-containing indium tin oxide nanocomposite films by GISAXS

Silver-containing indium tin oxide films were in situ prepared by layer-by-layer adsorption method with a reducing agent (stannous chloride). The multifractal formation of the films was studied through grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and XRD techniques. Results show that indium tin oxide layer is formed under diffusion limited aggregation dynamic while silver phase is generated through reaction limited aggregation at first stage. During thermal process, there is exchange mechanism present between silver atoms and adjacent atoms, which inhibit the coarsening of silver particles. Furthermore, the crystallization of ITO is induced and its crystalline structure is improved greatly through thermal treatments. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.