The variation of the features of SnO₂ and SnO₂:F thin films as a function of V dopant

V doped SnO₂ and SnO₂:F thin films were successfully deposited on glass substrates at 500 °C with spray pyrolysis. It was observed that all films had SnO₂ tetragonal rutile structure and the preferential orientation depended on spray solution chemistry (doping element and solvent type) by X-ray diffraction measurements. The lowest sheet resistance and the highest optical band gap, figure of merit, infrared (IR) reflectivity values of V doped SnO₂ for ethanol and propane-2-ol solvents and V doped SnO₂:F films were found to be 88.62 Ω–3.947 eV–1.02 × 10⁻⁴ Ω⁻¹–65.49 %, 65.35 Ω–3.955 eV–8.54 × 10⁻⁴ Ω⁻¹–72.58 %, 5.15 Ω–4.076 eV–6.15 × 10⁻² Ω⁻¹–97.32 %, respectively, with the electrical and optical measurements. Morphological properties of the films were investigated by atomic force microscope and scanning electron microscope measurements. From these analysis, the films consisted of nanoparticles and the film morphology depended on doping ratio/type and solvent type. It was observed pyramidal, polyhedron, needle-shaped and spherical grains on the films’ surfaces. The films obtained in present study with these properties can be used as front contact for solar cells and it can be also one of appealing materials for other optoelectronic and IR coating applications.