Conductive nanoparticles FTO ink: preparation and electrical properties investigation

This article presents novel attempt to synthesis of fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive ink from commercial FTO nanoparticles which have the particle size distribution about 30-160 nm. The conductive ink is achieved by dispersion of nanoparticle powders in DMF or DEG solvent which contains a tin (Sn) salt. The prepared conductive inks are deposited on the glass substrates by Dr.blade method. Different methods including SEM, XRD and 4-point probes are used for characterization of FTO films. The effect of different tin salts on conductivity such as SnCl2 and SnCl4 are studied. The final measurement of films conductivity shows the best conductivity in the presence of SnCl2 salt. The effect of various additives such as HF and NH4F on the conductivity of the final film are investigated, and the optimized FTO ink are prepared.

Keywords:

Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) , Conductive ink