Abstract:

In the present study, niobium-doped indium oxide thin films were prepared by sol–gel spin coating technique. The effects of different Nb-doping contents on structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of the films were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and four point probe methods. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of cubic bixbyite structure of In₂O₃ with a small shift in major peak position toward lower angles with addition of Nb. FESEM micrographs show that grain size decreased with increasing the Nb-doping content. Optical and electrical studies revealed that optimum opto-electronic properties, including minimum electrical resistivity of 119.4 × 10⁻³ Ω cm and an average optical transmittance of 85% in the visible region with a band gap of 3.37 eV were achieved for the films doped with Nb-doping content of 3 at.%. AFM studies show that addition of Nb at optimum content leads to the formation of compact films with smooth surface and less average roughness compared with the prepared In₂O₃ films.

Key words: Indium oxide, Nb-doping, Solegel spin coating, Transparent conductive oxide, Opto-electronic properties