Optical Properties of SnO2 and SnO2:F - An Experimental and Theoretical Approach

Thin films of SnO
₂
(TO) and SnO
₂
: F (FTO) were prepared by spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrate. The UV-visible spectra show well-defined interference fringes and an average transmittance in the visible region of about 74 and 81% for TO and FTO, respectively. The dielectric function was determined through the classical Drude-Lorentz dispersion model. The bands of the imaginary dielectric function are associated with metal-like electrons, transitions in the band gap, and transitions within the conduction band due to oxygen vacancies in the rutile structure. The first principles calculations are also presented and discussed, using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) performed on the intrinsic TO and TO with oxygen vacancy in the tetragonal structure.