X-Ray Structural and Photoelectric Properties of SnO2, ZnO, and Zn2SnO4 Metal Oxide Films

Abstract

The conditions and parameters for the synthesis of metal oxide films (ZnO, SnO2, and Zn2SnO4) by spray pyrolysis have been determined. The films were synthesized from aqueous solutions; the main differences between the methods were in the composition of the precursors, in the modes and time of deposition. The crystal structure of the Zn2SnO4 film corresponds to the cubic lattice, which belongs to the space group Fd3m with blocks 53 nm in size and lattice parameters a = 6.238 Å. Films of SnO2 and ZnO nanocrystallites 28 and 31 nm in size coherently arranged with lattices in the volume of thin Zn2SnO4 films can exhibit quantum size effects, which is of interest for modern nanotechnology. The crystals of the obtained SnO2 films have a tetragonal Bravais lattice with the space group P4 2/mnm with lattice parameters a = b = 4.836 Å and c = 3.245 Å, and the size of the SnO2 film subcrystals is 61 nm. The resulting ZnO films belong to the C6/mmc space group and the crystal lattice has a hexagonal syngony with the wurtzite structure with parameters a = b = 0.3265 nm and c = 0.5212 nm. It has been determined that, on the surface of the thin film grown, zinc oxide bumps with sizes LZnO ≈ 84 nm appear, which affect the unique properties of the samples. It is shown that the resulting thin Zn2SnO4, SnO2, and ZnO films can be used in a wide range of applications from sensitive sensor elements to coatings in transparent electronics in terms of their optical parameters.

Keywords

• film
• space group
• subcrystal
• nanocrystal
• quantum size effect
• lattice parameter
• transparent electronics
• band gap