Preparation and characterization of SnO2 films for sensing applications

SnO2 thin films for gas sensing applications were deposited by RF sputtering in a mixture of oxygen and argon. The morphology, structure and composition of the SnO2 films were analysed by XRD, SEM and XPS. SnO2 thin films showed a crystalline structure with a submicron particle size of 200 nm. The electronic structure of the film surface was elucidated by analysis of the photoelectron core level and valence band spectra of Sn.