Structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of Ni-doped SnO2 thin films by pneumatic spray pyrolysis method

• Published in: Bulletin of materials science Vol. 45; no. 4; p. 227
• Main Authors: Roguai, Sabrina, Djelloul, Abdelkader
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bangalore Indian Academy of Sciences 16.11.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Chemistry and Materials Science; Crystallites; Doping; Electrical properties; Electrical resistivity; Engineering; Figure of merit; Fourier transforms; Glass substrates; Indium; Materials Science; Morphology; Nickel; Optical properties; Seebeck effect; Spectrum analysis; Spray pyrolysis; Structural analysis; Temperature; Thickness; Thin films; Tin; Tin dioxide; Seebeck coefficient; optical properties; pneumatic spray pyrolysis; Ni-doped SnO; thin films
• ISSN: 0973-7669; 0250-4707; 0973-7669
• DOI: 10.1007/s12034-022-02804-3

In this study, we used a pneumatic spray pyrolysis technique at 450°C to deposit Sn 1– x Ni x O 2 thin films (0.0 ≤  x  ≤ 0.10) on glass substrates. The influence of doping content on the films structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties was investigated. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction indicated that the rutile phase of SnO 2 is present in all thin films, and crystallite sizes are estimated to be in the range of 27–47 nm. Furthermore, structural and microstructural analyses revealed that at x  = 0.05, there is a solubility limit for (Ni/Sn) in the SnO 2 matrix. The optical bandgap energy increases from 3.83 to 4.01 eV as the dopant content increases according to the Burstein-Moss effect. Resistivity is affected by doping and the thickness of thin films. The figure-of-merit calculated for all samples showed significant differences in the Ni–SnO 2 thin films. There was a difference between the doped thin films depending on the thickness. The lowest resistivity of 1.32 × 10 −2  Ω cm and the maximum conductivity of 75 Ω −1 cm −1 was found at a Ni content of 2%. Seebeck coefficient of all the thin films developed had n-type conductivity, and the values of 76, 71, 133 and 69 µ V/K for Ni-doped SnO 2 thin films at 0, 2, 5 and 10 at.%, respectively, were found to improve the thermoelectric properties of SnO 2 by Ni doping.