Electrostatic Spray Deposition of Antimony Doped Tin Oxide on Soda-Lime Glass

A technique for electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) of thin films onto a conducting substrate is described. The method, using a 60 kV corona has been tested for the preparation of heat-reflecting tin oxide coatings onto window glass by spraying solutions of hydrated tin tetrachloride with 1% antimony trichloride in ethyl acetate. Uniformity of film, growth rate, conductivity, infrared reflectivity and light transmission in the visible are all examined and compare favourably with films produced by normal aerosol spray. Conductivity and infra-red reflectivity increase with the substrate temperature during ESD. This is similar to the observation for antimony-doped tin oxide films prepared on soda-lime glass by CVD; although this temperature dependence does not follow closely that reported for normal spray deposition.