Influence of Cold Plasma and Photocatalysis on Properties of SnO2 Nanostructure Prepared by Laser Deposition

Abstract

The study aimed to consider the effects of processing thin films of tin dioxide (SnO2), prepared by pulsed laser deposition in vacuum on a glass substrate and the effects of both cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and UV light. Analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV–visible spectroscopy were used for characterization before and after specific surface treatments. XRD analysis revealed that the crystallographic orientation of the SnO2 peak remained unchanged after plasma treatment, although slight changes in grain size were observed after UV treatment. The AFM results confirmed the increased surface roughness of the SnO2 thin films, which was partially alleviated by CAP treatment, resulting in lower surface roughness compared with the untreated case. The optical band gap values of SnO2 thin films were determined from their UV–visible spectra. Before treatment, the band gap was measured at 2.58 electron volts (eV). However, after CAP and UV treatment, decreases in the band gap values were observed, with the values decreasing to 2.12[Formula: see text]eV and 1.98[Formula: see text]eV, respectively.