Transparent, conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) and tin oxide thin films were deposited on soda-lime-silicate (SLS) float glass and silica glass substrates by an RF aerosol plasma technique in an atmospheric environment. The ITO films were deposited from solutions with various In: Sn ratios. The dependence of the film properties on the substrate temperature, deposition time, and tin concentration has been studied. The films were characterized by several techniques including XRD, EDS, electrical resistivity, SEM, optical (IR-UV-Vis transmission), Mössbauer, and infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that film phase, morphology, thickness, crystallite size, and conductivity depend on the solution composition and deposition parameters. XRD revealed that In2O3 was present in the film when a In: Sn ratio of 5: 5 or higher was used; otherwise only SnO2 shown. SEM analysis showed that dense and uniform films were formed with particle sizes ranging from approximately 50 nm to 150 nm. The resistivity of the ITO films ranged from 0.12 to 5.0 ohm-cm at room temperature. Optical transmission of the ITO-coated glasses was not different from the uncoated samples. Infrared results indicated that the structure of the near surface of the glasses was significantly modified with a higher indium concentration. The advantages of the atmospheric, RF aerosol plasma deposition process over other techniques are discussed.
The near-surface infrared spectral changes that occurred on a commercial soda-lime-silicate glass, which was heat treated in SO2/H2O/air atmospheres, were measured, in the region 1200 to 600 cm−1, using attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Sets of spectra were taken at different angles of incidence of the infrared beam corresponding to successive penetration depths on the surface, hence, giving a surface spectral profile. It was found that the Si-O-Si vibrational band, observed in the region ∼1100 cm−1, is the most affected; with increasing depth the band becomes weaker, depending on the treatment temperature and water content in the treatment atmosphere. The two different sides (the side in contact with the tin bath (tin side) and the opposite side (air side)) were determined to have a different character as a result of the dealkalization treatments.
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