The local structure of amorphous SnO2 by electron microscope techniques

Electron microscopy/diffraction and electron energy-loss spectroscopy, including low-loss and core-edge structures, were used to characterize and study the atomic arrangement in amorphous SnO2 prepared by reactive sputtering. The gross features in the energy-loss spectra are the same as for crystalline SnO2, whereas the fine structures are smeared out. The diffraction pattern of amorphous SnO2 is qualitatively well described by assuming each tin atom to be surrounded by six oxygen atoms at a distance of 2.05 Å, two tin atoms at 3.19 Å, and eight tin atoms at 3.71 Å, which suggests the same local atomic arrangement as in crystalline SnO2.