Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of fluorine‐doped tin(IV) oxide from fluoroalkyltin precursors

Perfluoroalkytin compounds R (4− n ) Sn(R f ) n (R = Me, Et, Bu, R f = C 4 F 9 , n = 1; R = Bu, R f = C 4 F 9 , n = 2, 3; R = Bu, R f = C 6 F 13 , n = 1) have been synthesized, characterized by 1 H, 13 C, 19 F and 119 Sn NMR, and evaluated as precursors for the atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition of fluorine‐doped SnO 2 thin films. All precursors were sufficiently volatile in the range 84–136 °C and glass substrate temperatures of ca 550 °C to yield high‐quality films with ca 0.79–2.02% fluorine incorporation, save for Bu 3 SnC 6 F 13 , which incorporated <0.05% fluorine. Films were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thickness, haze, emissivity, and sheet resistance. The fastest growth rates and highest quality films were obtained from Et 3 SnC 4 F 9 . An electron diffraction study of Me 3 SnC 4 F 9 revealed four conformations, of which only the two of lowest abundance showed close F Sn contacts that could plausibly be associated with halogen transfer to tin, and in each case it was fluorine attached to either the γ‐ or δ‐carbon atoms of the R f chain. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.