In Situ Incorporation of Pt Nanoparticles in Fluorine-doped SnO2 Nanocomposite Thin Films by a One-step Synthesis

Incorporation of one-step-synthesized Pt nanoparticles (NPs) enhanced the electrical properties of direct-patternable fluorine (1.06 atom %)-doped SnO2 thin films without significant degeneration of the structural or optical properties. A fluorine-doped SnO2 thin film with 0.5 atom % Pt NPs showed slightly lower electrical resistivity than the pristine fluorine-doped SnO2 thin film due to the larger positive contribution of the reduction-catalytic effect of Pt NPs than the negative contribution from halide bond formation between fluorine ions and Pt NPs. However, above 0.5 atom % Pt NPs incorporation, the electrical resistivity of the fluorine-doped SnO2 thin film increased because the effects caused by halide bond formation are greater than those of the reduction-catalytic effect. Direct-patterning of fluorine-doped SnO2 thin films, after spin coating, was successfully performed with a line width of 60 µm.