Direct-Patternable SnO2 Thin Films Incorporated with Conducting Nanostructure Materials

Abstract

There have been many efforts to modify and improve the properties of functional thin films by hybridization with nano-sized materials. For the fabrication of electronic circuits, micro-patterning is a commonly used process. For photochemical metal-organic deposition, photoresist and dry etching are not necessary for microscale patterning. We obtained direct-patternable <TEX>$SnO_2$</TEX> thin films using a photosensitive solution containing Ag nanoparticles and/or multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The optical transmittance of direct-patternable <TEX>$SnO_2$</TEX> thin films decreased with introduction of nanomaterials due to optical absorption and optical scattering by Ag nanoparticles and MWNTs, respectively. The crystallinity of the <TEX>$SnO_2$</TEX> thin films was not much affected by an incorporation of Ag nanoparticles and MWNTs. In the case of mixed incorporation with Ag nanoparticles and MWNTs, the sheet resistance of <TEX>$SnO_2$</TEX> thin films decreased relative to incorporation of either single component. Valence band spectral analyses of the nano-hybridized <TEX>$SnO_2$</TEX> thin films showed a relation between band structural change and electrical resistance. Direct-patterning of <TEX>$SnO_2$</TEX> hybrid films with a line-width of 30 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX> was successfully performed without photoresist or dry etching. These results suggest that a micro-patterned system can be simply fabricated, and the electrical properties of <TEX>$SnO_2$</TEX> films can be improved by incorporating Ag nanoparticles and MWNTs.