Surface properties of tin dioxide films containing 7–10% La3+

Physical materials technology
Authors:
Abstract:

In this work, morphological, hydrophobic, electrophysical properties and roughness of tin dioxide films containing 7–10% La3+ were investigated by X-ray phase analysis, measuring the edge angle of wettability, atomic force  microscopy and Kelvin-probe force microscopy. The obtained materials were thin films formed by nanocrystallites with dimensions of 23–26 nm and have a homogeneous coating with small height differences. ByX-ray phase analysis  it was found that the films are composite and consist of tetragonal SnO2 (cassiterite) and La2O3 phases. The dependence of the edge angle of wettability on the content of lanthanum ions, substrate material, as well as on the  morphology of the surface and the magnitude of the surface charge was established. It is shown that the 10% La3+–SnO2 film on polycore has the highest hydrophobic properties. Measurements of the surface potential by Kelvin-probe microscopy showed that the average charge on the surface of the film containing 10% La3+ is two times lower than that of the film containing 7% La3+.