Preparation of SnO2-Sb2O5 films by the spray pyrolysis technique

Spray pyrolysis has been widely used for the preparation of thin (similar to 0.1 mu m) and transparent SnO2 films on glass substrates. In the present paper the parameters of the spray pyrolysis for the preparation of thick SnO2-Sb2O5 conductive films on Ti substrates have been studied for electrochemical use. It has been found that the resistivity of the films exhibits a minimum for a Sb concentration of about 3 at % (precursor solution concentration) and for a preparation temperature of 550 degrees C. As far as the composition is concerned, it has been shown that the antimony concentration in the oxide films is about twice as large as that in the corresponding precursor solution. The dependence of the oxide loading on the substrate temperature and nature and the influence of the spray conditions have also been discussed.