Influence of Oxygen Flow on Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Al:SnO₂ Films Deposited at Room Temperature

Transparent conducting aluminum-doped tin oxide (ATO) thin films were prepared on unheated glass substrates by a high-target utilization system (HiTUS). The effect of oxygen flow rates on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of ATO thin films were comprehensively examined. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to analyze the films' structural properties, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to investigate their surface chemistry, UV–visible transmittance curves were recorded to study their optical properties, and Hall-effect measurements determined their electrical properties. At room temperature, the ATO thin films with 3 wt.% aluminum dopant concentration demonstrated resistivity, carrier concentration, and mobility values of 2.16 Ω m × 10⁻¹ Ω m, 2.32 m⁻³ × 10¹⁴ m⁻³, and 1.24 m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ × 10⁻³ m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively. The sheet resistance of the films was approximately 43 Ω/□, and the average optical transmittance between 400 nm and 800 nm exceeded 80%. These findings strongly suggest that ATO thin films exhibit great potential for use in multiple optoelectronic device applications, making them an attractive option.