Growth and Characteristics of SnO<sub>2</sub>/Ag/SnO<sub>2</sub> Multi Layer Film with Thickness Variation of SnO<sub>2</sub> Layer

Abstract

Multilayer structure with SnO2/Ag//SnO2 was prepared on glass substrates by sequential using RF/DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature. In order to estimate and compare with the experimental results in advance, EMP (Essential Macleod Program) simulation program was adopted. EMP simulation results suggested that the multilayered thin film of SnO2 (30 nm)/Ag (10 nm)/SnO2 (30 nm) exhibited the highest visible transmittance of 88.8 % at 550 nm, whereas experimentally measured transmittance showed 85.5 %, somewhat lower than simulation data. Even though most of films exhibit transmittance of about 88 % at 550 nm wavelength, there are some distinct differences between the experimental and simulated results. Sheet resistance (Rs) were almost constant and the lowest Rs value about 9.51 Ω/sq was acquired at the multi layers with the structure of SnO2 (30nm)/Ag (10nm)/SnO2 (30nm). However, the resistivity of the SnO2/Ag/SnO2 multi layer film increased systematically with increasing thickness of SnO2 layer from 30 to 50 nm. SnO2/Ag/SnO2 multilayer with 50 nm of SnO2 thickness resulted in a decrease of ΦTC due to decrease of transmittance. The highest ΦTC value of SnO2/Ag/SnO2 film was obtained at a SnO2 thickness of 35 nm.