Synthesis of tin oxide films by dual ion beam sputtering using Sn target and oxygen ion beam

The properties of tin oxide films deposited at room temperature by dual ion beam sputtering (DIBS) using Sn targets and oxygen ion-beam have been examined as a function of oxygen ion energy. Studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that, with increasing oxygen ion-beam energy, the amorphous microstructure transformed into a crystalline SnO₂ phase and the preferred orientations varied from (211), (101) to (002) on Si(100). Together with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the Rutherford back-scattering (RBS) analyses revealed that, with an increase of oxygen ion-beam energy, the oxygen content and the packing density of the films increased slightly up to a value close to the stoichiometry of SnO₂. These results indicate that crystalline SnO₂ films can be synthesized at room temperature using DIBS with Sn target and oxygen ion-beam and also that the energetic oxygen ion-beams affect the phase formation, crystalline structure and the preferred orientation of the films.