Role of Materials Chemistry on Transparent Conductivity of Amorphous Nb-Doped SnO₂ Thin Films Prepared by Remote Plasma Deposition

In this study, remote plasma sputtering deposition of niobium-doped SnO₂ transparent conductive oxides on glass substrates was carried out at ambient temperature with no post-deposition annealing. The microstructure, optical, electrical, and surface morphology of the thin films were characterized using a combination of advanced techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrophotometer, Hall-effect measurements, as well as field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was determined that the oxygen defects of the films have a substantial impact on their transparent conductivity. The crystalline films, which were crystallized by annealing at 450 °C, had higher resistivities due to a decreased concentration of oxygen vacancies, which restricted conduction. In comparison, the amorphous films exhibited remarkable conductivity. The best amorphous films (Nb:SnO₂) exhibited a resistivity of less than 4.6 × 10⁻³ Ω·cm, with a 3 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³ carrier concentration and a 4.4 cm²/(V·S) of Hall mobility. X-ray amorphous Nb:SnO₂ films can be used to make conductive and transparent protective layers that can be used to shield semiconducting photoelectrodes used in solar water splitting. These layers can also be used with more conductive TCO films (ITO or AZO) when needed.