ABSTRACT
SnO2 thin films grown by spray pyrolysis on glass substrates have been studied. The evolution of the crystallographic orientation of these films with the variation of the pyrolysis temperature is reported. Samples have been characterised by X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Some metal oxides, deposited either as nanoparticles or as thin films, change their resistance in the presence of reducing or oxidising atmospheres. Nanostructural characteristics of polycrystalline Sn02 thin films determine their physical and chemical properties as semiconductor gas sensors. Thin films can be deposited by different methods such as chemical vapour deposition, metalorganic chemical vapour deposition, high frequency sputtering, and vacuum evaporation. In order to study the growth and structure of the films, they have been characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. High-resolution images have been analysed by FFT algorithms in order to index the different crystallographic growth habit and faceting planes.
