Characterization of nanostructured SnO2 thin film coated by Ag nanoparticles

Nanostructured SnO2 thin films were prepared using Electron Beam-Physical Vapor Deposition (EB-PVD) technique. Then Ag nanoparticles synthesized by laser-pulsed ablation were sprayed on the films. In order to form a homogenous coated of SnO2 on the glass surface, it was thermally treated at 500°C for 1 h. At this stage, the combined layer on the substrate was completely dried for 8 h in the air at room temperature right after the Ag colloidal NPs were sprayed on the tin oxide layer. The crystal structure and surface morphology of thin film were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction x-ray (EDX), transition electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average crystallite size of SnO2 nanoparticles estimated by XRD was about 9 nm. On the other hand, the SnO2 NPs with 6 nm size were distributed by the TEM image. The thickness of SnO2 –Ag layer was measured about 2.48 µm.