Electrical and optical properties of thin films prepared by spin coating a dispersion of nano-sized tin-doped indium oxide particles

Thin films were made by spinning a dispersion of tin-doped indium oxide particles, having an average diameter of 14 nm, onto glass substrates. As-deposited thin films displayed a resistivity ρ of 0.3 Ω m and some optical absorption. Annealing in vacuum at 200–400oC for 2 h, and subsequently in air at 500oC for 2 h, produced films with ρ ≈ 10−3 Ω m and a visible transmittance exceeding 90%. Leaving out the vacuum treatment yielded higher resistivity.