An overview on spray pyrolysis deposition of metal oxide thin films

Abstract

This work provided an overview on the synthesis of metal oxide thin films on different types of substrates (soda lime glass, fluorine-doped tin oxide glass, silica glass, stainless steel, quartz, silicon and microscopic glass slide) using spray pyrolysis method. The fundamentals, advantages and limitations of this method have been described. Experimental results indicated that the properties of films were strongly depending on the specific process parameters (nozzle type, distance between nozzle and substrate, solvent type, solution flow rate, precursor concentration, compressed air pressure, spray time and substrate temperature). It was noted that deposition temperature could control the surface chemical composition based on the experimental results. The presence of amorphous or polycrystalline structure could be observed for the films prepared at different deposition times as indicated in XRD studies. The obtained films indicated excellent absorption coefficient value (104 to 105 cm-1) and high transmittance value (more than 82 %) in the visible and infrared portion.