Effect Of Deposition Temperature On The optical Properties Of Iron-Doped Cadmium Stannate Thin Films Deposited By Spray Pyrolysis

Abstract

Spray Pyrolysis Technique (SPT) was used to deposit thin films (TFs) of cadmium stannate, doped with iron (Fe) for the first time. The precursor solutions that were used wereprepared at a concentration of 0.1M, doped with Feand then sprayed onto the pre-heated glass slides immediately at deposition temperatures of 350 ± 7°C, 400 ± 7°C and 450 ± 7°C. The optical properties of the deposited Fe-doped TFs were studied in the wavelength range of 300-1100nm. The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that the TFs were orthorhombic with growth orientation along the (2 0 0) direction. Film thickness of 85 ± 10 nm was obtained. It was found out that anincrease in the deposition temperature increased transmittance and band gap, but decreased absorption coefficient, extinction coefficient and refractive index, which was attributed to the improvement in crystallinity of the deposited TFs. Doping reduced transmittance and band gap, but increased refractive index, absorption coefficient and extinction coefficient, which was attributed to the increase in free carriers