Weak Localization in Polycrystalline Tin Dioxide Films

The electrical and magnetotransport properties of nanocrystalline tin dioxide films were studied in the temperature range of 4–300 K and in magnetic fields up to 8 T. SnO(2−δ) films were fabricated by reactive direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering of a tin target with following 2 stage temperature annealing of synthesized samples. The nanocrystalline rutile structure of films was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The temperature dependences of the resistance R(T) and the negative magnetoresistance (MR) were explained within the frame of a model, taking into account quantum corrections to the classical Drude conductivity. Extracted from the R(T) and R(B) dependences electron dephasing length values indicate the 3D character of the weak localization (WL) in our samples.