Investigation of the indium effect on the structural, optical and wettability characteristics of SnO₂ thin films prepared by rapid thermal evaporation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31349/RevMexFis.72.031003Keywords:
SnO2-In thin films, Rapid thermal evaporation, XRD, optical properties, HydrophilicityAbstract
While indium (In) doping of tin oxide (SnO2) has been extensively explored for its structural, optical, and electrical properties, its combined effect on surface wettability and multifunctional performance remains largely unexplored. In this study, indium-doped SnO2 thin films were synthesized via rapid thermal evaporation, and their structural, morphological, optical, electrical, and wettability properties were systematically correlated. Both undoped and In-doped films were deposited on glass and silicon substrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of polycrystalline SnO2 with a dominant tetragonal phase in both undoped and doped samples, while atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed a significant reduction in surface roughness from 9.6 nm for undoped films to 3.6 nm upon incorporation of 5 wt.% indium. Optical transmission measurements, carried out using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer showed enhanced optical transparency with indium incorporation, reaching over 86% at 5 wt.% In and remaining around 80% for higher doping levels (10-15 wt.%). The optical band gap exhibited minor variations with doping, initially increasing from 3.80 eV (undoped) to 3.81 eV (5 wt. %), then slightly decreasing to 3.78 eV (10 wt. %), and rising again at 15 wt. % indium, reflecting tunable optoelectronic behavior. Four-point probe measurements demonstrated a decrease in resistivity with increasing indium content. Contact angle measurements using a surface tensiometer showed that all films displayed hydrophilic surfaces.
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Copyright (c) 2026 L. Baghriche, D. Dergham, F. Lekoui, K. Badani, S. Hassani, D. Guitoume, A. Ayadi, F. Ynineb
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