Comparative structural study between sputtered and liquid pyrolysis nanocrystaline SnO2

Comparative X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS characterisation of nanocrystalline tin oxide prepared by sputtering and liquid pyrolysis was carried out taking into account the main procedure steps for each of these technological approaches. Results of morphological and structural characterisation show high similarity between these two technologies concerning structural parameters such as grain size and tin and oxygen binding energies and their modification with the calcination process. Nevertheless, some significant discrepancy remains after high-temperature treatments, Sputtered samples present residual lattice distortions that seem to be related to the layer compactness. Likewise, the role played by the oxygen vacancy concentration in the distortion evolution with the thermal treatments is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.