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Sample records for sn doped sputtered

  1. Sn-doped β-Ga2O3 nanowires deposited by radio frequency powder sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Su Yong; Kang, Hyon Chol

    2018-01-01

    We report the synthesis and characterization of Sn-doped β-Ga2O3 nanowires (NWs) deposited using radio frequency powder sputtering. The growth sequence of Sn-doped β-Ga2O3 NWs is similar to that of the undoped β-Ga2O3 NWs. Self-assembled Ga clusters act as seeds for initiating the growth of Sn-doped β-Ga2O3 NWs through a vapor-liquid-solid process, while Sn atoms are incorporated into the trunk of NWs uniformly. Different from the straight shape of undoped NWs, the conical shape of NWs is observed, which is attributed to the change in supersaturation conditions and the diffusion of the catalyst tip and reaction species.

  2. Properties of Sn-doped TiO2 nanotubes fabricated by anodization of co-sputtered Ti–Sn thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kyeremateng, Nana Amponsah; Hornebecq, Virginie; Knauth, Philippe; Djenizian, Thierry

    2012-01-01

    Self-organized Sn-doped TiO 2 nanotubes (nts) were fabricated for the first time, by anodization of co-sputtered Ti and Sn thin films. This nanostructured material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Due to their remarkable properties, Sn-doped TiO 2 nts can find potential applications in Li-ion microbatteries, photovoltaics, and catalysis. Particularly, the electrochemical performance as an anode material for Li-ion microbatteries was evaluated in Li test cells. With current density of 70 μA cm −2 (1 C) and cut-off potential of 1 V, Sn-doped TiO 2 nts showed improved performance compared to simple TiO 2 nts, and differential capacity plots revealed that the material undergoes full electrochemical reaction as a Rutile-type TiO 2 .

  3. Electrical and optical properties of nitrogen doped SnO2 thin films deposited on flexible substrates by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang, Feng; Zhang, Yeyu; Wu, Xiaoqin; Shao, Qiyue; Xie, Zonghan

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The best SnO 2 :N TCO film: about 80% transmittance and 9.1 × 10 −4 Ω cm. - Highlights: • Nitrogen-doped tin oxide film was deposited on PET by RF-magnetron sputtering. • Effects of oxygen partial pressure on the properties of thin films were investigated. • For SnO 2 :N film, visible light transmittance was 80% and electrical resistivity was 9.1 × 10 −4 Ω cm. - Abstract: Nitrogen-doped tin oxide (SnO 2 :N) thin films were deposited on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates at room temperature by RF-magnetron sputtering. Effects of oxygen partial pressure (0–4%) on electrical and optical properties of thin films were investigated. Experimental results showed that SnO 2 :N films were amorphous state, and O/Sn ratios of SnO 2 :N films were deviated from the standard stoichiometry 2:1. Optical band gap of SnO 2 :N films increased from approximately 3.10 eV to 3.42 eV as oxygen partial pressure increased from 0% to 4%. For SnO 2 :N thin films deposited on PET, transmittance was about 80% in the visible light region. The best transparent conductive oxide (TCO) deposited on flexible PET substrates was SnO 2 :N thin films preparing at 2% oxygen partial pressure, the transmittance was about 80% and electrical conductivity was about 9.1 × 10 −4 Ω cm

  4. Selectivity enhancement of indium-doped SnO2 gas sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salehi, A.

    2002-01-01

    Indium doping was used to enhance the selectivity of SnO 2 gas sensor. Both indium-doped and undoped SnO 2 gas sensors fabricated with different deposition techniques were investigated. The changes in the sensitivity of the sensors caused by selective gases (hydrogen and wood smoke) ranging from 500 to 3000 ppm were measured at different temperatures from 50 to 300 deg. C. The sensitivity peaks of the samples exhibit different values for selective gases with a response time of approximately 0.5 s. Thermally evaporated indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensor shows a considerable increase in the sensitivity peak of 27% in response to wood smoke, whereas it shows a sensitivity peak of 7% to hydrogen. This is in contrast to the sputter deposited indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensor, which exhibits a much lower sensitivity peak of approximately 2% to hydrogen and wood smoke compared to undoped SnO 2 gas sensors fabricated by chemical vapor deposition and spray pyrolysis. Scanning electron microscopy shows that different deposition techniques result in different porosity of the films. It is observed that the thermally evaporated indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensor shows high porosity, while the sputtered sample exhibits almost no porosity

  5. Electrical transport characterization of Al and Sn doped Mg 2 Si thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Bo

    2017-05-22

    Thin-film Mg2Si was deposited using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Al and Sn were incorporated as n-type dopants using co-sputtering to tune the thin-film electrical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the deposited films are polycrystalline Mg2Si. The Sn and Al doping concentrations were measured using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The charge carrier concentration and the charge carrier type of the Mg2Si films were measured using a Hall bar structure. Hall measurements show that as the doping concentration increases, the carrier concentration of the Al-doped films increases, whereas the carrier concentration of the Sn-doped films decreases. Combined with the resistivity measurements, the mobility of the Al-doped Mg2Si films is found to decrease with increasing doping concentration, whereas the mobility of the Sn-doped Mg2Si films is found to increase.

  6. Comparative investigation on cation-cation (Al-Sn) and cation-anion (Al-F) co-doping in RF sputtered ZnO thin films: Mechanistic insight

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mallick, Arindam; Basak, Durga, E-mail: sspdb@iacs.res.in

    2017-07-15

    Highlights: • Comparative study on Al, Al-Sn and Al-F doped ZnO films has been carried out. • High transparent Al-F co-doped film shows three times enhanced carrier density. • Al-F co-doped film shows larger carrier relaxation time. • Al-Sn co-doped films shows carrier transport dominated by impurity scattering. • Al-F co-doped ZnO film can be applied as transparent electrode. - Abstract: Herein, we report a comparative mechanistic study on cation-cation (Al-Sn) and cation-anion (Al-F) co-doped nanocrystalline ZnO thin films grown on glass substrate by RF sputtering technique. Through detailed analyses of crystal structure, surface morphology, microstructure, UV-VIS-NIR transmission-reflection and electrical transport property, the inherent characteristics of the co-doped films were revealed and compared. All the nanocrystalline films retain the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO and show transparency above 90% in the visible and NIR region. As opposed to expectation, Al-Sn (ATZO) co-doped film show no enhanced carrier concentration consistent with the probable formation of SnO{sub 2} clusters supported by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study. Most interestingly, it has been found that Al-F (AFZO) co-doped film shows three times enhanced carrier concentration as compared to Al doped and Al-Sn co-doped films attaining a value of ∼9 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} due to the respective cation and anion substitution. The carrier relaxation time increases in AFZO while it decreases significantly for ATZO film consistent with the concurrence of the impurity scattering in the latter.

  7. High-rate deposition of high-quality Sn-doped In2O3 films by reactive magnetron sputtering using alloy targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oka, Nobuto; Kawase, Yukari; Shigesato, Yuzo

    2012-01-01

    Sn-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO) films were deposited on heated (200 °C) fused silica glass substrates by reactive DC sputtering with mid-frequency pulsing (50 kHz) and a plasma control unit combined with a feedback system of the optical emission intensity for the atomic O* line at 777 nm. A planar In–Sn alloy target was connected to the switching unit, which was operated in the unipolar pulse mode. The power density on the target was maintained at 4.4 W cm −2 during deposition. The feedback system precisely controlled the oxidation of the target surface in “the transition region.” The ITO film with lowest resistivity (3.1 × 10 −4 Ω cm) was obtained with a deposition rate of 310 nm min −1 and transmittance in the visible region of approximately 80%. The deposition rate was about 6 times higher than that of ITO films deposited by conventional sputtering using an oxide target.

  8. Spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization of ZnO:Sn thin films with various Sn composition deposited by remote-plasma reactive sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janicek, Petr; Niang, Kham M.; Mistrik, Jan; Palka, Karel; Flewitt, Andrew J.

    2017-11-01

    ZnO:Sn thin films were deposited onto thermally oxidized silicon substrates using a remote plasma reactive sputtering. Their optical constants (refractive index n and extinction coefficient k) were determined from ellipsometric data recorded over a wide spectral range (0.05-6 eV). Parametrization of ZnO:Sn complex dielectric permittivity consists of a parameterized semiconductor oscillator function describing the short wavelength absorption edge, a Drude oscillator describing free carrier absorption in near-infrared part of spectra and a Lorentz oscillator describing the long wavelength absorption edge and intra-band absorption in the ultra-violet part of the spectra. Using a Mott-Davis model, the increase in local disorder with increasing Sn doping is quantified from the short wavelength absorption edge onset. Using the Wemple-DiDomenico single oscillator model for the transparent part of the optical constants spectra, an increase in the centroid distance of the valence and conduction bands with increasing Sn doping is shown and only slight increase in intensity of the inter-band optical transition due to Sn doping occurs. The Drude model applied in the near-infrared part of the spectra revealed the free carrier concentration and mobility of ZnO:Sn. Results show that the range of transparency of prepared ZnO:Sn layers is not dramatically affected by Sn doping whereas electrical conductivity could be controlled by Sn doping. Refractive index in the transparent part is comparable with amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide allowing utilization of prepared ZnO:Sn layers as an indium-free alternative.

  9. Thin films of thermoelectric compound Mg2Sn deposited by co-sputtering assisted by multi-dipolar microwave plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le-Quoc, H.; Lacoste, A.; Hlil, E.K.; Bes, A.; Vinh, T. Tan; Fruchart, D.; Skryabina, N.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Mg 2 Sn thin films deposited by plasma co-sputtering, on silicon and glass substrates. → Formation of nano-grained polycrystalline films on substrates at room temperature. → Structural properties vary with target biasing and target-substrate distance. → Formation of the hexagonal phase of Mg 2 Sn in certain deposition conditions. → Power factor ∼5.0 x 10 -3 W K -2 m -1 for stoichiometric Mg 2 Sn films doped with ∼1 at.% Ag. - Abstract: Magnesium stannide (Mg 2 Sn) thin films doped with Ag intended for thermoelectric applications are deposited on both silicon and glass substrates at room temperature by plasma assisted co-sputtering. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirms the formation of fine-grained polycrystalline thin films with thickness of 1-3 μm. Stoichiometry, microstructure and crystal structure of thin films are found to vary with target biasing and the distance from targets to substrate. Measurements of electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient at room temperature show the maximum power factor of ∼5.0 x 10 -3 W K -2 m -1 for stoichiometric Mg 2 Sn thin films doped with ∼1 at.% Ag.

  10. Simultaneous thermal stability and phase change speed improvement of Sn15Sb85 thin film through erbium doping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Hua; Zhu, Xiaoqin; Hu, Yifeng; Sui, Yongxing; Sun, Yuemei; Zhang, Jianhao; Zheng, Long; Song, Zhitang

    2016-12-01

    In general, there is a trade off between the phase change speed and thermal stability in chalcogenide phase change materials, which leads to sacrifice the one in order to ensure the other. For improving the performance, doping is a widely applied technological process. Here, we fabricated Er doped Sn15Sb85 thin films by magnetron sputtering. Compared with the pure Sn15Sb85, we show that Er doped Sn15Sb85 thin films exhibit simultaneous improvement over the thermal stability and the phase change speed. Thus, our results suggest that Er doping provides the opportunity to solve the contradiction. The main reason for improvement of both thermal stability and crystallization speed is due to the existence of Er-Sb and Er-Sn bonds in Er doped Sn15Sb85 films. Hence, Er doped Sn15Sb85 thin films are promising candidates for the phase change memory application, and this method could be extended to other lanthanide-doped phase change materials.

  11. High-rate deposition of Ta-doped SnO2 films by reactive magnetron sputtering using a Sn–Ta metal-sintered target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muto, Y.; Nakatomi, S.; Oka, N.; Iwabuchi, Y.; Kotsubo, H.; Shigesato, Y.

    2012-01-01

    Ta-doped SnO 2 films were deposited on glass substrate (either unheated or heated at 200 °C) by reactive magnetron sputtering with a Sn–Ta metal-sintered target using a plasma control unit (PCU) and mid-frequency (mf, 50 kHz) unipolar pulsing. The PCU feedback system precisely controlled the flow of the reactive and sputtering gases (O 2 and Ar, respectively) by monitoring either discharge impedance or the plasma emission of the atomic O* line at 777 nm. The planar target was connected to the switching unit, which was operated in unipolar pulse mode. Power density on the target was maintained at 4.4 W cm −2 during deposition. The lowest obtained resistivity for the films deposited on heated substrate was 6.4 × 10 −3 Ωcm, where the deposition rate was 250 nm min −1 .

  12. Study of Sn and Mg doping effects on TiO2/Ge stack structure by combinatorial synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagata, Takahiro; Suzuki, Yoshihisa; Yamashita, Yoshiyuki; Ogura, Atsushi; Chikyow, Toyohiro

    2018-04-01

    The effects of Sn and Mg doping of a TiO2 film on a Ge substrate were investigated to improve leakage current properties and Ge diffusion into the TiO2 film. For systematic analysis, dopant-composition-spread TiO2 samples with dopant concentrations of up to 20.0 at. % were fabricated by RF sputtering and a combinatorial method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the instability of Mg doping of TiO2 at dopant concentrations above 10.5 at. %. Both Sn and Mg dopants reduced Ge diffusion into TiO2. Sn doping enhanced the crystallization of the rutile phase, which is a high-dielectric-constant phase, although the Mg-doped TiO2 film indicated an amorphous structure. Sn-doping indicated systematic leakage current reduction with increasing dopant concentration. Doping at Sn concentrations higher than 16.8 at. % improved the leakage properties (˜10-7 A/cm2 at -3.0 V) and capacitance-voltage properties of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) operation. The Sn doping of TiO2 may be useful for interface control and as a dielectric material for Ge-based MIS capacitors.

  13. Effect of Indium Doping on the Sensitivity of SnO2 Gas Sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suharni; Sayono

    2009-01-01

    The dependence of sensitivity f SnO 2 gas sensors on indium concentration has been studied. Undoped and indium-doped SnO 2 gas sensors have been prepared by DC sputtering technique with following parameters i.e : electrode voltage of 3 kV, current 20 mA, vacuum pressure 1.8 × 10 -1 torr, deposition time 60 minutes and temperature of 200℃. The effect of weight variations of indium in order of 0.0370; 0.0485 and 0.0702 grams into SnO 2 thin film gas sensor for optimum result were investigated. The measurement of resistance, sensitivity and response time for various temperature for detecting of carbon monoxide (CO), Ammonia (NH 3 ) and acetone (CH 3 COCH 3 ) gas for indium doped has been done. From the analysis result shows that for indium doped 0.0702 g on the SnO 2 the resistance can be decreased from 832.0 kΩ to 3.9 kΩ and the operating temperature from 200℃ to 90℃ and improving the sensitivity from 15.92% to 40.09% and a response time from 30 seconds to 10 seconds for CO. (author)

  14. Properties of reactively radio frequency-magnetron sputtered (Zr,Sn)TiO4 dielectric films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, C.-L.; Hsu, C.-H.

    2004-01-01

    Zirconium tin titanium oxide doped 1 wt % ZnO thin films on n-type Si substrate were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering at a fixed rf power of 350 W with various argon-oxygen (Ar/O 2 ) mixture and different substrate temperatures. Electrical properties and microstructures of ZnO-doped (Zr 0.8 Sn 0.2 )TiO 4 thin films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering on n-type Si(100) substrates at different Ar/O 2 ratios and substrate temperatures have been investigated. The surface structural and morphological characteristics analyzed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscope were sensitive to the deposition conditions, such as Ar/O 2 ratio (100/0-80/20) and substrate temperature (350 deg. C-450 deg. C). The selected-area diffraction pattern showed that the deposited films exhibited a polycrystalline microstructure. All films exhibited ZST (111) orientation perpendicular to the substrate surface and the grain size as well as the deposition rate of the films increased with the increase of both the Ar partial pressure and the substrate temperature. At a Ar/O 2 ratio of 100/0, rf power level of 350 W and substrate temperature of 450 deg. C, the Zr 0.8 Sn 0.2 TiO 4 films with 6.44 μm thickness possess a dielectric constant of 42 (at 10 MHz), a dissipation factor of 0.065 (at 10 MHz), and a leakage current density of 2x10 -7 A/cm 2 at an electrical field of 1 kV/cm

  15. Enhanced B doping in CVD-grown GeSn:B using B δ-doping layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohen, David; Vohra, Anurag; Loo, Roger; Vandervorst, Wilfried; Bhargava, Nupur; Margetis, Joe; Tolle, John

    2018-02-01

    Highly doped GeSn material is interesting for both electronic and optical applications. GeSn:B is a candidate for source-drain material in future Ge pMOS device because Sn adds compressive strain with respect to pure Ge, and therefore can boost the Ge channel performances. A high B concentration is required to obtain low contact resistivity between the source-drain material and the metal contact. To achieve high performance, it is therefore highly desirable to maximize both the Sn content and the B concentration. However, it has been shown than CVD-grown GeSn:B shows a trade-off between the Sn incorporation and the B concentration (increasing B doping reduces Sn incorporation). Furthermore, the highest B concentration of CVD-grown GeSn:B process reported in the literature has been limited to below 1 × 1020 cm-3. Here, we demonstrate a CVD process where B δ-doping layers are inserted in the GeSn layer. We studied the influence of the thickness between each δ-doping layers and the δ-doping layers process conditions on the crystalline quality and the doping density of the GeSn:B layers. For the same Sn content, the δ-doping process results in a 4-times higher B doping than the co-flow process. In addition, a B doping concentration of 2 × 1021 cm-3 with an active concentration of 5 × 1020 cm-3 is achieved.

  16. Zero added oxygen for high quality sputtered ITO: A data science investigation of reduced Sn-content and added Zr

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peshek, Timothy J.; Burst, James M.; Coutts, Timothy J.; Gessert, Timothy A.

    2016-01-01

    The authors demonstrate mobilities of >45 cm 2 /V s for sputtered tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films at zero added oxygen. All films were deposited with 5 wt. % SnO 2 , instead of the more conventional 8–10 wt. %, and had varying ZrO 2 content from 0 to 3 wt. %, with a subsequent reduction in In 2 O 3 content. These films were deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering from nominally stoichiometric targets with varying oxygen partial pressure in the sputter ambient. Anomalous behavior was discovered for films with no Zr-added, where a bimodality of high and low mobilities was discovered for nominally similar growth conditions. However, all films showed the lowest resistivity and highest mobilities when the oxygen partial pressure in the sputter ambient was zero. This result is contrasted with several other reports of ITO transport performance having a maximum for small but nonzero oxygen partial pressure. This result is attributed to the reduced concentration of SnO 2 . The addition of ZrO 2 yielded the highest mobilities at >55 cm 2 /V s and the films showed a modest increase in optical transmission with increasing Zr-content

  17. Dwell time dependent morphological transition and sputtering yield of ion sputtered Sn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian, H X; Zeng, X R; Zhou, W

    2010-01-01

    Self-organized nano-scale patterns may appear on a wide variety of materials irradiated with an ion beam. Good manipulation of these structures is important for application in nanostructure fabrication. In this paper, dwell time has been demonstrated to be able to control the ripple formation and sputtering yield on Sn surface. Ripples with a wavelength of 1.7 μm were observed for a dwell time in the range 3-20 μs, whereas much finer ripples with a wavelength of 540 nm and a different orientation were observed for a shorter dwell time in the range 0.1-2 μs. The sputtering yield increases with dwell time significantly. The results provide a new basis for further steps in the theoretical description of morphology evolution during ion beam sputtering.

  18. Influence of dopant segregation on the work function and electrical properties of Ge-doped in comparison to Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoyer, Karoline L.; Hubmann, Andreas H.; Klein, Andreas [Surface Science Division, Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany)

    2017-02-15

    Ge-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering are studied using photoelectron spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements. Carrier conductivities of up to 8.35 x 10{sup 3} S cm{sup -1} and carrier mobilities of up to 57 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1}s{sup -1} are observed. The surface Ge concentration is enhanced by a factor of 2-3 compared to the concentration in the interior of the films. The surface Ge concentration increases with more oxidizing deposition conditions, in opposite to what has been reported for Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Ge-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} films exhibit higher work functions as compared to Sn-doped films, in particular at oxidizing conditions. This is attributed to the formation of a GeO{sub 2} surface phase. While segregation of Sn reduces the carrier mobility due to grain boundary scattering, Ge segregation does not show such an effect. The differences are attributed to the different oxidation states of the segregated dopants, in agreement with the observed dependence of segregation on oxygen activity. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  19. Effect of indium and antimony doping in SnS single crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chaki, Sunil H., E-mail: sunilchaki@yahoo.co.in; Chaudhary, Mahesh D.; Deshpande, M.P.

    2015-03-15

    Highlights: • Single crystals growth of pure SnS, indium doped SnS and antimony doped SnS by direct vapour transport (DVT) technique. • Doping of In and Sb occurred in SnS single crystals by cation replacement. • The replacement mechanism ascertained by EDAX, XRD and substantiated by Raman spectra analysis. • Dopants concentration affects the optical energy bandgap. • Doping influences electrical transport properties. - Abstract: Single crystals of pure SnS, indium (In) doped SnS and antimony (Sb) doped SnS were grown by direct vapour transport (DVT) technique. Two doping concentrations of 5% and 15% each were employed for both In and Sb dopants. Thus in total five samples were studied viz., pure SnS (S1), 5% In doped SnS (S2), 15% In doped SnS (S3), 5% Sb doped SnS (S4) and 15% Sb doped SnS (S5). The grown single crystal samples were characterized by evaluating their surface microstructure, stoichiometric composition, crystal structure, Raman spectroscopy, optical and electrical transport properties using appropriate techniques. The d.c. electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power variations with temperature showed semiconducting and p-type nature of the as-grown single crystal samples. The room temperature Hall Effect measurements further substantiated the semiconducting and p-type nature of the as-grown single crystal samples. The obtained results are deliberated in detail.

  20. Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells fabricated by short-term sulfurization of sputtered Sn/Zn/Cu precursors under an H2S atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emrani, Amin; Rajbhandari, Pravakar P.; Dhakal, Tara P.; Westgate, Charles R.

    2015-01-01

    Synthesis of Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) thin films by short-term sulfurization of sputtered Sn/Zn/Cu precursors under ambient H 2 S is studied. The effect of the sulfurization processes on the film morphology, surface roughness, composition of the CZTS, and the crystallinity was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, optical profiler, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction respectively. To further explore the CZTS layer, the following additional layers were deposited to complete the solar cells: CdS with chemical bath deposition; ZnO and Al 2 O 3 -doped ZnO with RF magnetron deposition; and, silver fingers as the front contact as the last layer. The optical and morphological properties of the CZTS films were investigated and compared. Subsequently, the electrical characteristics and the efficiencies of the regarding solar cells were analyzed. A maximum efficiency of 3.8% has been obtained for the fast sulfurization (30 min at 580 °C) and finally, the performance is compared with our best cell fabricated through the more common slow annealing. - Highlights: • Development of Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) solar cells using elemental metal sputtering • 112-oriented CZTS films with well-defined morphology obtained • Reported efficiency of 3.8% for a short-term annealing (less than 30 min) under ambient H 2 S • A detailed comparison between the fast and the more common slow annealing is reported

  1. Sputter deposited gallium doped ZnO for TCO applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dietrich, Marc; Kronenberger, Achim; Polity, Angelika; Meyer, Bruno [I. Physikalisches Institut, Justus Liebig Universitaet Giessen (Germany); Blaesing, Juergen; Krost, Alois [FNW/IEP/AHE, Otto-von-Guericke Universitaet Magdeburg (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    Transparent conducting oxides to be used for flat panel or display applications should exhibit low electrical resistivity in line with a high optical transmission in the visible spectral range. Today indium-tin-oxide is the material which meets these requirements best. However, the limited availability of indium makes it useful to search for alternatives and ZnO doped with group III elements are promising candidates. While the Al doping in high concentrations causes problems due to the formation of insulating Al-oxides, Gallium related oxides are typically n-type conducting wide band gap semiconductors. Therefore we deposited Gallium doped ZnO thin films on quartz and sapphire substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering with a ZnO/Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}(3at%) composite target. The substrate temperature and the oxygen flow during the sputtering process were varied to optimise the layer properties. Introducing oxygen to the sputtering gas allowed to vary the resistivity of the films by three orders of magnitude from about 1 {omega}cm down to less than 1 m{omega}cm.

  2. Mobility Optimization in LaxBa1-xSnO3 Thin Films Deposited via High Pressure Oxygen Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postiglione, William Michael

    BaSnO3 (BSO) is one of the most promising semiconducting oxides currently being explored for use in future electronic applications. BSO possesses a unique combination of high room temperature mobility (even at very high carrier concentrations, > 1019 cm-3), wide band gap, and high temperature stability, making it a potentially useful material for myriad applications. Significant challenges remain however in optimizing the properties and processing of epitaxial BSO, a critical step towards industrial applications. In this study we investigate the viability of using high pressure oxygen sputtering to produce high mobility La-doped BSO thin films. In the first part of our investigation we synthesized, using solid state reaction, phase-pure stoichiometric polycrystalline 2% La-doped BaSnO 3 for use as a target material in our sputtering system. We verified the experimental bulk lattice constant, 4.117 A, to be in good agreement with literature values. Next, we set out to optimize the growth conditions for DC sputtering of La doped BaSnO3. We found that mobility for all our films increased monotonically with deposition temperature, suggesting the optimum temperature for deposition is > 900 °C and implicating a likely improvement in transport properties with post-growth thermal anneal. We then preformed systematic studies aimed at probing the effects of varying thickness and deposition rate to optimize the structural and electronic transport properties in unbuffered BSO films. In this report we demonstrate the ability to grow 2% La BSO thin films with an effective dopant activation of essentially 100%. Our films showed fully relaxed (bulk), out-of-plane lattice parameter values when deposited on LaAlO3, MgO, and (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2 TaAlO6)0.7 substrates, and slightly expanded out-of-plane lattice parameters for films deposited on SrTiO3, GdScO3, and PrScO3 substrates. The surface roughness's of our films were measured via AFM, and determined to be on the nm scale or better

  3. Electrical and Optical Properties of Fluorine Doped Tin Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ziad Y. Banyamin

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO coatings have been prepared using the mid-frequency pulsed DC closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering technique in an Ar/O2 atmosphere using blends of tin oxide and tin fluoride powder formed into targets. FTO coatings were deposited with a thickness of 400 nm on glass substrates. No post-deposition annealing treatments were carried out. The effects of the chemical composition on the structural (phase, grain size, optical (transmission, optical band-gap and electrical (resistivity, charge carrier, mobility properties of the thin films were investigated. Depositing FTO by magnetron sputtering is an environmentally friendly technique and the use of loosely packed blended powder targets gives an efficient means of screening candidate compositions, which also provides a low cost operation. The best film characteristics were achieved using a mass ratio of 12% SnF2 to 88% SnO2 in the target. The thin film produced was polycrystalline with a tetragonal crystal structure. The optimized conditions resulted in a thin film with average visible transmittance of 83% and optical band-gap of 3.80 eV, resistivity of 6.71 × 10−3 Ω·cm, a carrier concentration (Nd of 1.46 × 1020 cm−3 and a mobility of 15 cm2/Vs.

  4. Plasma diagnostics during magnetron sputtering of aluminum doped zinc oxide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stamate, Eugen; Crovetto, Andrea; Sanna, Simone

    2016-01-01

    Plasma parameters during magnetron sputtering of aluminum-doped zinc oxide are investigated with optical emission spectroscopy, electrostatic probes and mass spectrometry with the aim of understanding the role of negative ions of oxygen during the film growth and improving the uniformity of the f......Plasma parameters during magnetron sputtering of aluminum-doped zinc oxide are investigated with optical emission spectroscopy, electrostatic probes and mass spectrometry with the aim of understanding the role of negative ions of oxygen during the film growth and improving the uniformity...

  5. Superparamagnetic behavior of Fe-doped SnO2 nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hachisu, M.; Onuma, K.; Kondo, T.; Miike, K.; Miyasaka, T.; Mori, K.; Ichiyanagi, Y.

    2014-01-01

    SnO 2 is an n-type semiconductor with a wide band gap of 3.62 eV, and SnO 2 nanoparticles doped with magnetic ions are expected to realized new diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs). Realizing ferromagnetism at room temperature is important for spintronics device applications, and it is interesting that the magnetic properties of these DMS systems can be varied significantly by modifying the preparation methods or conditions. In this study, the magnetic properties of Fe-doped (3% and 5%) SnO 2 nanoparticles, prepared using our novel chemical preparation method and encapsulated in amorphous SiO 2 , were investigated. The particle size (1.8–16.9 nm) and crystal phase were controlled by the annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction confirmed a rutile SnO 2 single-phase structure for samples annealed at 1073–1373 K, and the composition was confirmed using X-ray fluorescence analysis. SQUID magnetometer measurements revealed superparamagnetic behavior of the 5%-Fe-doped sample at room temperature, although SnO 2 is known to be diamagnetic. Magnetization curves at 5 K indicated that the 3%-Fe-doped has a larger magnetization than that of the 5%-Fe-doped sample. We conclude that the magnetization of the 5%-Fe-doped sample decreased at 5 K due to the superexchange interaction between the antiferromagnetic coupling in the nanoparticle system

  6. Superparamagnetic behavior of Fe-doped SnO2 nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hachisu, M.; Onuma, K.; Kondo, T.; Miike, K.; Miyasaka, T.; Mori, K.; Ichiyanagi, Y.

    2014-02-01

    SnO2 is an n-type semiconductor with a wide band gap of 3.62 eV, and SnO2 nanoparticles doped with magnetic ions are expected to realized new diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs). Realizing ferromagnetism at room temperature is important for spintronics device applications, and it is interesting that the magnetic properties of these DMS systems can be varied significantly by modifying the preparation methods or conditions. In this study, the magnetic properties of Fe-doped (3% and 5%) SnO2 nanoparticles, prepared using our novel chemical preparation method and encapsulated in amorphous SiO2, were investigated. The particle size (1.8-16.9 nm) and crystal phase were controlled by the annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction confirmed a rutile SnO2 single-phase structure for samples annealed at 1073-1373 K, and the composition was confirmed using X-ray fluorescence analysis. SQUID magnetometer measurements revealed superparamagnetic behavior of the 5%-Fe-doped sample at room temperature, although SnO2 is known to be diamagnetic. Magnetization curves at 5 K indicated that the 3%-Fe-doped has a larger magnetization than that of the 5%-Fe-doped sample. We conclude that the magnetization of the 5%-Fe-doped sample decreased at 5 K due to the superexchange interaction between the antiferromagnetic coupling in the nanoparticle system.

  7. Physical properties of electrically conductive Sb-doped SnO2 transparent electrodes by thermal annealing dependent structural changes for photovoltaic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leem, J.W.; Yu, J.S.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: · The physical properties of sputtered Sb-doped SnO 2 after annealing were studied. · The figure of merit was estimated from the integral PFD and sheet resistance. · The characteristics of Sb-doped SnO 2 films were optimized by the figure of merit. · An optimized Sb-doped SnO 2 layer is promising for high efficiency photovoltaic cells. - Abstract: We have investigated the optical and electrical characteristics of antimony (Sb)-doped tin oxide (SnO 2 ) films with modified structures by thermal annealing as a transparent conductive electrode. The structural properties were analyzed from the relative void % by spectroscopic ellipsometry as well as the scanning electron microscopy images and X-ray diffraction patterns. As the annealing temperature was raised, Sb-doped SnO 2 films exhibited a slightly enhanced crystallinity with the increase of the grain size from 17.1 nm at 500 deg. C to 34.3 nm at 700 deg. C. Furthermore, the refractive index and extinction coefficient gradually decreased due to the increase in the relative void % within the film during the annealing. The resistivity decreased to 8.2 x 10 -3 Ω cm at 500 deg. C, but it increased rapidly at 700 deg. C. After thermal annealing, the optical transmittance was significantly increased. For photovoltaic applications, the photonic flux density and the figure of merit over the entire solar spectrum were obtained, indicating the highest values of 5.4 x 10 14 cm -2 s -1 nm -1 at 1.85 eV after annealing at 700 deg. C and 340.1 μA cm -2 Ω -1 at 500 deg. C, respectively.

  8. Ab initio study of thermoelectric properties of doped SnO_2 superlattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borges, P.D.; Silva, D.E.S.; Castro, N.S.; Ferreira, C.R.; Pinto, F.G.; Tronto, J.; Scolfaro, L.

    2015-01-01

    Transparent conductive oxides, such as tin dioxide (SnO_2), have recently shown to be promising materials for thermoelectric applications. In this work we studied the thermoelectric properties of Fe-, Sb- and Zn-uniformly doping and co-doping SnO_2, as well as of Sb and Zn planar (or delta)-doped layers in SnO_2 forming oxide superlattices (SLs). Based on the semiclassical Boltzmann transport equations (BTE) in conjunction with ab initio electronic structure calculations, the Seebeck coefficient (S) and figure of merit (ZT) are obtained for these systems, and are compared with available experimental data. The delta doping approach introduces a remarkable modification in the electronic structure of tin dioxide, when compared with the uniform doping, and colossal values for ZT are predicted for the delta-doped oxide SLs. This result is a consequence of the two-dimensional electronic confinement and the strong anisotropy introduced by the doped planes. In comparison with the uniformly doped systems, our predictions reveal a promising use of delta-doped SnO_2 SLs for enhanced S and ZT, which emerge as potential candidates for thermoelectric applications. - Graphical abstract: Band structure and Figure of merit for SnO2:Sb superlattice along Z direction, P. D. Borges, D. E. S. Silva, N. S. Castro, C. R. Ferreira, F. G. Pinto, J. Tronto and L. Scolfaro, Ab initio study of thermoelectric properties of doped SnO2 superlattices. - Highlights: • Thermoelectric properties of SnO_2-based alloys and superlattices. • High figure of merit is predicted for planar-doped SnO_2 superlattices. • Nanotechnology has an important role for the development of thermoelectric devices.

  9. Dielectric and magnetic properties of (Zn, Co) co-doped SnO2 nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajwali, Khan; Fang Ming-Hu

    2015-01-01

    Polycrystalline samples of (Zn, Co) co-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were prepared using a co-precipitation method. The influence of (Zn, Co) co-doping on electrical, dielectric, and magnetic properties was studied. All of the (Zn, Co) co-doped SnO 2 powder samples have the same tetragonal structure of SnO 2 . A decrease in the dielectric constant was observed with the increase of Co doping concentration. It was found that the dielectric constant and dielectric loss values decrease, while AC electrical conductivity increases with doping concentration and frequency. Magnetization measurements revealed that the Co doping SnO 2 samples exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism. Our results illustrate that (Zn, Co) co-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles have an excellent dielectric, magnetic properties, and high electrical conductivity than those reported previously, indicating that these (Zn, Co) co-doped SnO 2 materials can be used in the field of the ultrahigh dielectric material, high frequency device, and spintronics. (paper)

  10. Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of Zn-Doped SnO2/Zn2SnO4 Coupled Nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiekun Jia

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Zn-doped SnO2/Zn2SnO4 nanocomposites were prepared via a two-step hydrothermal synthesis method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, and adsorption-desorption isotherms. The results of FESEM and TEM showed that the as-prepared Zn-doped SnO2/Zn2SnO4 nanocomposites are composed of numerous nanoparticles with the size ranging from 20 nm to 50 nm. The specific surface area of the as-prepared Zn-doped SnO2/Zn2SnO4 nanocomposites is estimated to be 71.53 m2/g by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET method. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB, and the resulting showed that Zn-doped SnO2/Zn2SnO4 nanocomposites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity due to their higher specific surface area and surface charge carrier transfer.

  11. Excimer laser processing of inkjet-printed and sputter-deposited transparent conducting SnO2:Sb for flexible electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cranton, Wayne M.; Wilson, Sharron L.; Ranson, Robert; Koutsogeorgis, Demosthenes C.; Chi Kuangnan; Hedgley, Richard; Scott, John; Lipiec, Stephen; Spiller, Andrew; Speakman, Stuart

    2007-01-01

    The feasibility of low-temperature fabrication of transparent electrode elements from thin films of antimony-doped tin oxide (SnO 2 :Sb, ATO) has been investigated via inkjet printing, rf magnetron sputtering and post-deposition excimer laser processing. Laser processing of thin films on both glass and plastic substrates was performed using a Lambda Physik 305i excimer laser, with fluences in the range 20-100 mJ cm -2 reducing sheet resistance from as-deposited values by up to 3 orders of magnitude. This is consistent with TEM analysis of the films that shows a densification of the upper 200 nm of laser-processed regions

  12. Ex situ n+ doping of GeSn alloys via non-equilibrium processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prucnal, S.; Berencén, Y.; Wang, M.; Rebohle, L.; Böttger, R.; Fischer, I. A.; Augel, L.; Oehme, M.; Schulze, J.; Voelskow, M.; Helm, M.; Skorupa, W.; Zhou, S.

    2018-06-01

    Full integration of Ge-based alloys like GeSn with complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor technology would require the fabrication of p- and n-type doped regions for both planar and tri-dimensional device architectures which is challenging using in situ doping techniques. In this work, we report on the influence of ex situ doping on the structural, electrical and optical properties of GeSn alloys. n-type doping is realized by P implantation into GeSn alloy layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) followed by flash lamp annealing. We show that effective carrier concentration of up to 1 × 1019 cm‑3 can be achieved without affecting the Sn distribution. Sn segregation at the surface accompanied with an Sn diffusion towards the crystalline/amorphous GeSn interface is found at P fluences higher than 3 × 1015 cm‑2 and electron concentration of about 4 × 1019 cm‑3. The optical and structural properties of ion-implanted GeSn layers are comparable with the in situ doped MBE grown layers.

  13. Effect of substrate temperature on structural and optical properties of nitrogen doped SnO2 thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thakur, Anup; Kumar, Varinder; Kang, Se Jun; Lee, Ik-Jae; Gautam, Sanjeev; Chae, K. H.; Shin, Hyun Joon

    2014-01-01

    Nitrogen doped SnO 2 thin films (thickness ∼ 250 nm) were deposited at different substrate temperature by radio frequency (rf) sputtering method. Crystal structure, morphology and optical properties of these films were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer, respectively. XRD measurement suggests that the film deposited at room temperature was amorphous in nature and films deposited at higher temperature were crystalline in nature. The film deposited at RT and 200 °C have transparency more than 90% in visible region but the film deposited at 400 °C has lesser transparency. Red shift was observed in the absorption edge may be due to decrease in ionicity due to the formation of the Sn-N bond

  14. Ultrasonic synthesis of In-doped SnS nanoparticles and their physical properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamali-Sheini, Farid; Cheraghizade, Mohsen; Yousefi, Ramin

    2018-05-01

    Indium (In)-doped Tin (II) Sulfide (SnS) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by an ultra-sonication method and their optical, electrical, dielectric and photocatalytic properties were investigated. XRD patterns of the obtained NPs indicated formation of orthorhombic polycrystalline SnS. Field emission scanning electron microscopy exhibited flower-like NPs with particle sizes below 100 nm for both SnS and In-doped SnS samples. Optical analysis showed a decrease in energy band gap of SnS NPs upon In doping. In addition, electrical results demonstrated p-type nature of the synthesized SnS NPs and enhanced electrical conductivity of the NPs due to increased tin vacancy. Dielectric experiments on SnS NPs suggested an electronic polarizations effect to be responsible for changing dielectric properties of the particles, in terms of frequency. Finally, photocatalytic experiments revealed that high degradation power can be obtained using In-doped SnS NPs.

  15. Study of Bi-2212 phase doped Sn(Pb) by means of pat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Qingzhu; Huang Xiaoqian; Xiong Xiaotao

    1997-01-01

    Investigation on the effect of Sn/Pb-doped Bi-2212 superconductors has been carried out by the simultaneous measurements of the spectra of positron annihilation lifetime and positron Doppler broadening, together with X-ray diffraction. The results of samples with different doping level show the occupation of Sn atoms on Bi sites. At weak doping level, Sn doping results in a enhancement of cooperation between layers and increment of superconducting transition temperature. At the strong doping level, Sn atoms occupy the sites of Cu-O layers, and at the same time, the other nonsuperconducting phases appear, which results in a decline of the superconducting transition temperature

  16. Ga-doped ZnO films deposited with varying sputtering powers and substrate temperatures by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering and their property improvement potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Sanghun; Cheon, Dongkeun; Kim, Won-Jeong; Ham, Moon-Ho; Lee, Woong

    2012-01-01

    Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films were deposited on glass substrates by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering with varying sputtering power and substrate temperature while fixing the Ga concentration in the sputtering target. The application of higher sputtering power by pulsed DC magnetrons sputtering at a moderate temperature of 423 K results in increased carrier concentration and mobility which accompanied improved doping efficiency and crystalline quality. Substrate temperature was found to be the more dominant parameter in controlling the electrical properties and crystallinity, while the sputtering power played synergistic auxiliary roles. Electrical and optical properties of the GZO TCO films fulfilled requirements for transparent electrodes, despite relatively low substrate temperature (423 K) and small thickness (100 nm). In an attempt to improve the electrical properties of the GZO films by hydrogen-treatment, it was observed that the substitutional Ga plays the complex role of carrier generator as donor and carrier suppressor deactivating the oxygen vacancy simultaneously, which would complicate the property improvement by increasing doping efficiency.

  17. Electrical, optical and etching properties of Zn-Sn-O thin films deposited by combinatorial sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J. S.; Park, J. K.; Baik, Y. J.; Kim, W. M.; Jeong, J.; Seong, T. Y.

    2012-01-01

    Zn-Sn-O (ZTO) films are known to be able to form an amorphous phase, which provides a smooth surface morphology as well as etched side wall, when deposited by using the conventional sputtering technique and, therefore, to have a potential to be applied as transparent thin film transistors. In this study, ZTO thin films were prepared by using combined sputtering of ZnO and SnO 2 targets, and the dependences of their electrical and optical properties on the composition and the deposition parameters were examined. The Sn content in the films was varied in the range of 35 ∼ 85 at .%. The deposition was carried out at room temperature, 150 and 300 .deg. C, and the oxygen content in sputtering gas was varied from 0 to 1 vol.%. Sn-rich films had better electrical properties, but showed large oxygen deficiency when deposited at low oxygen partial pressures. ZTO films with Sn contents lower than 55 at.% had good optical transmission, but the electrical properties were poor due to very low carrier concentrations. A high Hall mobility of larger than 10 cm 2 /Vs could be obtained in the carrier density range 10 17 ∼ 10 20 cm -3 , and the etching rate was measurable for films with Sn content up to 70 at.% when using a dilute HCl solution, indicating a good possibility of utilizing ZTO films for device applications.

  18. Ambipolar SnOx thin-film transistors achieved at high sputtering power

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yunpeng; Yang, Jia; Qu, Yunxiu; Zhang, Jiawei; Zhou, Li; Yang, Zaixing; Lin, Zhaojun; Wang, Qingpu; Song, Aimin; Xin, Qian

    2018-04-01

    SnO is the only oxide semiconductor to date that has exhibited ambipolar behavior in thin-film transistors (TFTs). In this work, ambipolar behavior was observed in SnOx TFTs fabricated at a high sputtering power of 200 W and post-annealed at 150-250 °C in ambient air. X-ray-diffraction patterns showed polycrystallisation of SnO and Sn in the annealed SnOx films. Scanning-electron-microscopy images revealed that microgrooves appeared after the films were annealed. Clusters subsequently segregated along the microgrooves, and our experiments suggest that they were most likely Sn clusters. Atomic force microscopy images indicate an abrupt increase in film roughness due to the cluster segregations. An important implication of this work is that excess Sn in the film, which has generally been thought to be detrimental to the film quality, may promote the ambipolar conduction when it is segregated from the film to enhance the stoichiometric balance.

  19. Superparamagnetic behavior of Fe-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hachisu, M.; Onuma, K.; Kondo, T.; Miike, K.; Miyasaka, T.; Mori, K.; Ichiyanagi, Y. [Department of Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-8501 (Japan)

    2014-02-20

    SnO{sub 2} is an n-type semiconductor with a wide band gap of 3.62 eV, and SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles doped with magnetic ions are expected to realized new diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs). Realizing ferromagnetism at room temperature is important for spintronics device applications, and it is interesting that the magnetic properties of these DMS systems can be varied significantly by modifying the preparation methods or conditions. In this study, the magnetic properties of Fe-doped (3% and 5%) SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles, prepared using our novel chemical preparation method and encapsulated in amorphous SiO{sub 2}, were investigated. The particle size (1.8–16.9 nm) and crystal phase were controlled by the annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction confirmed a rutile SnO{sub 2} single-phase structure for samples annealed at 1073–1373 K, and the composition was confirmed using X-ray fluorescence analysis. SQUID magnetometer measurements revealed superparamagnetic behavior of the 5%-Fe-doped sample at room temperature, although SnO{sub 2} is known to be diamagnetic. Magnetization curves at 5 K indicated that the 3%-Fe-doped has a larger magnetization than that of the 5%-Fe-doped sample. We conclude that the magnetization of the 5%-Fe-doped sample decreased at 5 K due to the superexchange interaction between the antiferromagnetic coupling in the nanoparticle system.

  20. Unusually large chemical potential shift in a degenerate semiconductor: Angle-resolved photoemission study of SnSe and Na-doped SnSe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, M.; Yamamoto, K.; Mizokawa, T.; Saini, N. L.; Arita, M.; Namatame, H.; Taniguchi, M.; Tan, G.; Zhao, L. D.; Kanatzidis, M. G.

    2018-03-01

    We have studied the electronic structure of SnSe and Na-doped SnSe by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The valence-band top reaches the Fermi level by the Na doping, indicating that Na-doped SnSe can be viewed as a degenerate semiconductor. However, in the Na-doped system, the chemical potential shift with temperature is unexpectedly large and is apparently inconsistent with the degenerate semiconductor picture. The large chemical potential shift and anomalous spectral shape are key ingredients for an understanding of the novel metallic state with the large thermoelectric performance in Na-doped SnSe.

  1. Ab initio study of thermoelectric properties of doped SnO{sub 2} superlattices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borges, P.D., E-mail: pdborges@gmail.com [Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 38810-000 Rio Paranaíba, MG (Brazil); Silva, D.E.S.; Castro, N.S.; Ferreira, C.R.; Pinto, F.G.; Tronto, J. [Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 38810-000 Rio Paranaíba, MG (Brazil); Scolfaro, L. [Department of Physics, Texas State University, 78666 San Marcos, TX (United States)

    2015-11-15

    Transparent conductive oxides, such as tin dioxide (SnO{sub 2}), have recently shown to be promising materials for thermoelectric applications. In this work we studied the thermoelectric properties of Fe-, Sb- and Zn-uniformly doping and co-doping SnO{sub 2}, as well as of Sb and Zn planar (or delta)-doped layers in SnO{sub 2} forming oxide superlattices (SLs). Based on the semiclassical Boltzmann transport equations (BTE) in conjunction with ab initio electronic structure calculations, the Seebeck coefficient (S) and figure of merit (ZT) are obtained for these systems, and are compared with available experimental data. The delta doping approach introduces a remarkable modification in the electronic structure of tin dioxide, when compared with the uniform doping, and colossal values for ZT are predicted for the delta-doped oxide SLs. This result is a consequence of the two-dimensional electronic confinement and the strong anisotropy introduced by the doped planes. In comparison with the uniformly doped systems, our predictions reveal a promising use of delta-doped SnO{sub 2} SLs for enhanced S and ZT, which emerge as potential candidates for thermoelectric applications. - Graphical abstract: Band structure and Figure of merit for SnO2:Sb superlattice along Z direction, P. D. Borges, D. E. S. Silva, N. S. Castro, C. R. Ferreira, F. G. Pinto, J. Tronto and L. Scolfaro, Ab initio study of thermoelectric properties of doped SnO2 superlattices. - Highlights: • Thermoelectric properties of SnO{sub 2}-based alloys and superlattices. • High figure of merit is predicted for planar-doped SnO{sub 2} superlattices. • Nanotechnology has an important role for the development of thermoelectric devices.

  2. Hydrogen peroxide route to Sn-doped titania photocatalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Štengl Václav

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The work aims at improving photocatalytic activity of titania under Vis light irradiation using modification by Sn ions and an original, simple synthesis method. Tin-doped titania catalysts were prepared by thermal hydrolysis of aqueous solutions of titanium peroxo-complexes in the presence of SnCl4 or SnCl2 using an original, proprietary "one pot" synthesis not employing organic solvents, metallo-organic precursors, autoclave aging nor post-synthesis calcination. The products were characterized in details by powder diffraction, XPS, UV–vis, IR, and Raman spectroscopies, electron microscopy and surface area and porosity measurements Results The presence of tin in synthesis mixtures favors the formation of rutile and brookite at the expense of anatase, decreases the particle size of all formed titania polymorphs, and extends light absorption of titania to visible light region >400 nm by both red shift of the absorption edge and introduction of new chromophores. The photocatalytic activity of titania under UV irradiation and >400 nm light was tested by decomposition kinetics of Orange II dye in aqueous solution Conclusions Doping by Sn improves titania photoactivity under UV light and affords considerable photoactivity under >400 nm light due to increased specific surface area and a phase heterogeneity of the Sn-doped titania powders.

  3. ZnO doped SnO2 nanoparticles heterojunction photo-catalyst for environmental remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamba, Randeep; Umar, Ahmad; Mehta, S.K.; Kansal, Sushil Kumar

    2015-01-01

    ZnO doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by facile and simple hydrothermal technique and used as an effective photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of harmful and toxic organic dye. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized in detail using different techniques for morphological, structural and optical properties. The characterization results revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles possess both crystal phases of tetragonal rutile phase of pure SnO 2 and wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. In addition, the nanoparticles were synthesized in very high quantity with good crystallinity. The photocatalytic activity of prepared nanoparticles was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. Detailed photocatalytic experiments based on the effects of irradiation time, catalyst dose and pH were performed and presented in this paper. The detailed photocatalytic experiments revealed that the synthesized ZnO doped SnO 2 nanoparticles heterojunction photocatalyst exhibit best photocatalytic performance when the catalyst dose was 0.25 g/L and pH = 10. ZnO doped SnO 2 nanoparticles heterojunction photocatalyst was also compared with commercially available TiO 2 (PC-50), TiO 2 (PC-500) and SnO 2 and interestingly ZnO doped SnO 2 nanoparticles exhibited superior photocatalytic performance. The presented work demonstrates that the prepared ZnO doped SnO 2 nanoparticles are promising material for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and toxic chemicals. - Highlights: • Synthesis of well-crystalline ZnO-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles. • Excellent morphological, crystalline and photoluminescent properties. • Efficient environmental remediation using ZnO-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles.

  4. Flux pinning characteristics of Sn-doped YBCO film by the MOD process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, S.M.; Shin, G.M.; Yoo, S.I.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► The pinning effects of undoped and Sn-doped YBCO films by MOD were characterized. ► Sn-containing nanoparticles were trapped in Sn-doped YBCO films by MOD. ► Sn-containing nanoparticles were identified as the YBa 2 SnO 5.5 (YBSO) phase by TEM. ► The YBSO nanoparticles are responsible for improved flux pinning effect. ► We report the orientation relationship between YBSO nanoparticles and YBCO matrix. -- Abstract: Compared with the undoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (YBCO) film, 10 mol% Sn-doped YBCO film exhibited significantly enhanced critical current densities (J c ) in magnetic fields up to 5 T at 65 and 77 K for H//c, indicating that the Sn-doped YBCO film possesses more effective flux pinning centers. Both samples were grown on the SrTiO 3 (STO) (1 0 0) single crystal substrates by the metal-organic deposition (MOD) process. Larger J c (77 K, 1 T) values of Sn-doped YBCO film are observed over a wide field-orientation angle (θ) except the field-orientations close to the ab-plane of YBCO (85° c values for 85° 2 SnO 5.5 (YBSO) phase by STEM (scanning transmission electron microscopy)-EDS (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analysis. Further analyses by HR-TEM (high resolution-transmission electron microscopy) revealed that YBSO nanoparticles completely surrounded by the YBCO matrix had random orientation with YBCO while those located at the interface of YBCO/STO substrate had epitaxial relationship with YBCO

  5. A study of structural, electrical, and optical properties of p-type Zn-doped SnO2 films versus deposition and annealing temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Tran; Phuc Dang, Huu; Luc, Quang Ho; Hieu Le, Van

    2017-04-01

    This study presents a detailed investigation of the structural, electrical, and optical properties of p-type Zn-doped SnO2 versus the deposition and annealing temperature. Using a direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering method, p-type transparent conductive Zn-doped SnO2 (ZTO) films were deposited on quartz glass substrates. Zn dopants incorporated into the SnO2 host lattice formed the preferred dominant SnO2 (1 0 1) and (2 1 1) planes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used for identifying the valence state of Zn in the ZTO film. The electrical property of ZTO films changed from n-type to p-type at the threshold temperature of 400 °C, and the films achieved extremely high conductivity at the optimum annealing temperature of 600 °C after annealing for 2 h. The best conductive property of the film was obtained on a 10 wt% ZnO-doped SnO2 target with a resistivity, hole concentration, and hole mobility of 0.22 Ω · cm, 7.19  ×  1018 cm-3, and 3.95 cm2 V-1 s-1, respectively. Besides, the average transmission of films was  >84%. The surface morphology of films was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the acceptor level of Zn2+ was identified using photoluminescence spectra at room temperature. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics revealed the behavior of a p-ZTO/n-Si heterojunction diode.

  6. Electrical transport characterization of Al and Sn doped Mg 2 Si thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Bo; Zheng, Tao; Sun, Ce; Guo, Zaibing; Kim, Moon J.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Quevedo-Lopez, Manuel; Gnade, Bruce E.

    2017-01-01

    Thin-film Mg2Si was deposited using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Al and Sn were incorporated as n-type dopants using co-sputtering to tune the thin-film electrical properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed

  7. Photoelectron-spectroscopic and reactivity investigation of thin Pd-Sn films prepared by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skala, T.; Veltruska, K.; Sedlacek, L.; Masek, K.; Matolinova, I.; Matolin, V.

    2007-01-01

    We have studied Pd-Sn layers with different composition prepared by magnetron sputtering. Layers were sputtered onto Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 substrates and studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spectra confirmed that after vacuum annealing residual oxygen and carbon have been removed and bimetallic bonds have been created. The shift of Pd 3d 5/2 core level to higher binding energy followed by the peak narrowing in dependence on the composition was observed, accompanied by the shift of the Pd 4d in the valence band region, induced by hybridization of Pd-d and Sn-s,p states. Experiments carried out on a gas-flow reactor indicate increasing temperature of the CO oxidation with tin ratio in the alloy

  8. Effects of Ge- and Sb-doping and annealing on the tunable bandgaps of SnS films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsu, Hsuan-Tai; Chiang, Ming-Hung; Huang, Chen-Hao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China); Lin, Wen-Tai, E-mail: wtlin@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China); Fu, Yaw-Shyan [Department of Greenergy, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700, Taiwan (China); Guo, Tzung-Fang [Department of Photonics, Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan (China)

    2015-06-01

    SnS, Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films with single orthorhombic SnS phase were fabricated via solvothermal routes and subsequent spin-coating, respectively. The substitution solubilities of Ge and Sb in SnS are about 6 and 5 at.%, respectively. The bandgaps of Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films can be tuned in the ranges of 1.25–1.35 and 1.30–1.39 eV, respectively. The possible mechanisms for the tunable bandgaps of Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films are discussed. For the Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films subjected to annealing at 200–350 °C in N{sub 2}, the bandgaps of 200 °C-annealed films remain unchanged, while those of 300 °C- and 350 °C-annealed films decrease with the annealing temperature because of the evaporation of Ge and Sb respectively. - Highlights: • Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films were fabricated via spin-coating. • The solubilities of Ge and Sb in SnS are about 6 and 5 at.%, respectively. • The bandgaps of SnS films can be tuned by Ge and Sb doping respectively. • Annealing above 300 °C reduces the bandgaps of Ge- and Sb-doped SnS films.

  9. A detailed study on Sn4+ doped ZnO for enhanced photocatalytic degradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beura, Rosalin; Pachaiappan, R.; Thangadurai, P.

    2018-03-01

    The samples of Sn4+ doped (1, 5, 10, 15, 20 & 30%) ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by a low temperature hydrothermal method. Structural analysis by XRD and Raman spectroscopy showed the hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO and the formation of a secondary phase Zn2SnO4 beyond 10% doping of Sn4+. Microstructural analysis by TEM also confirmed the wurtzite ZnO with rod as well as particle like structure. Presence of various functional groups (sbnd OH, sbnd CH, Znsbnd O) were confirmed by FTIR. Optical properties were studied by UV-vis absorption, photoluminescence emission spectroscopies and lifetime measurement. Band gap of the undoped and Sn4+ doped ZnO were analyzed by Tauc plot and it was observed that the band gap of the materials had slightly decreased from 3.2 to 3.16 eV and again increased to 3.23 eV with respect to the increase in the doping concentration from 1 to 30%. A significant change was also noticed in the photoluminescence emission properties of ZnO i.e. increase in the intensity of NBE emission and decrease in DLE, on subject to Sn4+ doping. Average PL lifetime had increased from 29.45 ns for ZnO to 30.62 ns upon 1% Sn ion doping in ZnO. Electrical properties studied by solid state impedance spectroscopy showed that the conductivity had increased by one order of magnitude (from 7.48×10-8 to 2.21×10-7 S/cm) on Sn4+ doping. Photocatalytic experiments were performed on methyl orange (MO) as a model industrial dye under UV light irradiation for different irradiation times. The optimum Sn4+ content in order to achieve highest photocatalytic activity was found to be 1% Sn 4+ doping. The enhancement was achieved due to a decrease in the band gap favoring the generation of electron-hole pairs and the enhanced PL life time that delays the recombination of these charge carrier formation. The third reason was that the increased electrical conductivity that indicated the faster charge transfer in this material to enhance the photocatalytic activity. The Sn

  10. Angular distribution of sputtered atoms from Al-Sn alloy and surface topography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhenxia; Pan Jisheng; Zhang Jiping; Tao Zhenlan

    1992-01-01

    If an alloy is sputtered the angular distribution of the sputtered atoms can be different for each component. At high ion energies in the range of linear cascade theory, different energy distributions for components of different mass in the solid are predicted. Upon leaving the surface, i.e. overcoming the surface binding energy, these differences should show up in different angular distributions. Differences in the angular distribution are of much practical interest, for example, in thin-film deposition by sputtering and surface analysis by secondary-ion mass spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Recently our experimental work has shown that for Fe-W alloy the surface microtopography becomes dominant and determines the shape of the angular distribution of the component. However, with the few experimental results available so far it is too early to draw any general conclusions for the angular distribution of the sputtered constituents. Thus, the aim of this work was to study further the influence of the surface topography on the shape of the angular distribution of sputtered atoms from an Al-Sn alloy. (Author)

  11. The effect of doping on thermoelectric performance of p-type SnSe: Promising thermoelectric material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Niraj Kumar; Bathula, Sivaiah; Gahtori, Bhasker [CSIR-Network of Institutes for Solar Energy, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Tyagi, Kriti [CSIR-Network of Institutes for Solar Energy, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Acdemy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Campus, New Delhi (India); Haranath, D. [CSIR-Network of Institutes for Solar Energy, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India); Dhar, Ajay, E-mail: adhar@nplindia.org [CSIR-Network of Institutes for Solar Energy, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110012 (India)

    2016-05-25

    Tin selenide (SnSe) based thermoelectric materials are being explored for making inexpensive and efficient thermoelectric devices with improved thermoelectric efficiency. As both Sn and Se are earth abundant and relatively inexpensive and these alloys do not involve toxic materials, such as lead and expensive tellurium. Hence, in the present study, we have synthesized SnSe doped with 2 at% of aluminium (Al), lead (Pb), indium (In) and copper (Cu) individually, which is not reported in literature. Out of these, Cu doped SnSe resulted in enhancement of figure-of-merit (zT) of ∼0.7 ± 0.02 at 773 K, synthesized employing conventional fusion method followed by spark plasma sintering. This enhancement in zT is ∼16% over the existing state-of-the-art value for p-type SnSe alloy doped with expensive Ag. This enhancement in ZT is primarily due to the presence of Cu{sub 2}Se second phase associated with intrinsic nanostructure formation of SnSe. This enhancement has been corroborated with the microstructural characterization using field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. Also, Cu doped SnSe exhibited a higher value of carrier concentration in comparison to other samples doped with Al, Pb and In. Further, the compatibility factor of Cu doped SnSe alloys exhibited value of 1.62 V{sup −1} at 773 K and it is suitable to segment with most of the novel TE materials for obtaining the higher thermoelectric efficiencies. - Highlights: • Tin selenide (SnSe) doped with non-toxic and inexpensive dopants. • Synthesized highly dense SnSe employing Spark plasma sintering. • Enhanced thermoelectric compatibility factor of SnSe. • Enhanced thermoelectric performance of SnSe doped with Copper.

  12. Synthesis, structural and paramagnetic properties of SnO{sub 2} doped NiO nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Islam, I., E-mail: ishtihadahislam@gmail.com; Dwivedi, Sonam; Dar, Hilal A.; Dar, M. A.; Varshney, Dinesh, E-mail: vdinesh33@rediffmail.com [School of Physics, Vigyan Bhawan, Devi Ahilya University, Khandwa Road Campus, Indore 452001 (India)

    2016-05-06

    In this work, Sn doped NiO nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation route to explore the impact of doping on lattice structure, dielectric constant and magnetization. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed cubic (Fd-3m) structure of Sn doped NiO. Average crystallite size decreases from 78.2 nm (Ni{sub 0.95}Sn{sub 0.05}O) to 64.23 nm (Ni{sub 0.8}Sn{sub 0.2}O). Scanning electron microscopy images confirm that nanocrystals have agglomerated spherical morphology. The Raman spectrum exhibits a strong, broad peak at 410 cm{sup -1} and is attributed to the Ni-O stretching mode and doped samples show a blue shift. The dielectric constants at about 1 Hz are measured to be about 1.795, 1.030, 0.442, and 0.302 × 10{sup 3} Ni{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x}O (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2), respectively. The dielectric constant in nanoparticles of doped Ni{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x}O is three orders of magnitude higher as compared to pure NiO ceramics. The nature of magnetization - applied field (M-H) infers paramagnetic behaviour for Sn doped NiO nanoparticles.

  13. Sputtered tin oxide and titanium oxide thin films as alternative transparent conductive oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boltz, Janika

    2011-12-12

    Alternative transparent conductive oxides to tin doped indium oxide have been investigated. In this work, antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide have been studied with the aim to prepare transparent and conductive films. Antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide belong to different groups of oxides; tin oxide is a soft oxide, while titanium oxide is a hard oxide. Both oxides are isolating materials, in case the stoichiometry is SnO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}. In order to achieve transparent and conductive films free carriers have to be generated by oxygen vacancies, by metal ions at interstitial positions in the crystal lattice or by cation doping with Sb or Nb, respectively. Antimony doped tin oxide and niobium doped titanium oxide films have been prepared by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (dc MS) from metallic targets. The process parameters and the doping concentration in the films have been varied. The films have been electrically, optically and structurally analysed in order to analyse the influence of the process parameters and the doping concentration on the film properties. Post-deposition treatments of the films have been performed in order to improve the film properties. For the deposition of transparent and conductive tin oxide, the dominant parameter during the deposition is the oxygen content in the sputtering gas. The Sb incorporation as doping atoms has a minor influence on the electrical, optical and structural properties. Within a narrow oxygen content in the sputtering gas highly transparent and conductive tin oxide films have been prepared. In this study, the lowest resistivity in the as deposited state is 2.9 m{omega} cm for undoped tin oxide without any postdeposition treatment. The minimum resistivity is related to a transition to crystalline films with the stoichiometry of SnO{sub 2}. At higher oxygen content the films turn out to have a higher resistivity due to an oxygen excess. After post

  14. Magnetic exchange interactions in Mn doped ZnSnAs{sub 2} chalcopyrite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouhani-Benziane, H.; Sahnoun, O. [Laboratoire de Physique Quantique de la Matière et Modélisation Mathématique (LPQ3M), University of Mascara (Algeria); Sahnoun, M., E-mail: sahnoun_cum@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Physique Quantique de la Matière et Modélisation Mathématique (LPQ3M), University of Mascara (Algeria); Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg (Switzerland); Driz, M. [Laboratoire de Sciences des Matériaux (LSM), University of Sidi Bel Abbes (Algeria); Daul, C. [Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg (Switzerland)

    2015-12-15

    Accurate ab initio full-potential augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) electronic calculations within generalized gradient approximation have been performed for Mn doped ZnSnAs{sub 2} chalcopyrites, focusing on their electronic and magnetic properties as a function of the geometry related to low Mn-impurity concentration and the spin magnetic alignment (i.e., ferromagnetic vs antiferromagnetic). As expected, Mn is found to be a source of holes and localized magnetic moments of about 4 µ{sub B} per Mn atom are calculated which are sufficiently large. The defect calculations are firstly performed by replacing a single cation (namely Zn and Sn) with a single Mn atom in the pure chalcopyrite ZnSnAs{sub 2} supercell, and their corresponding formation energies show that the substitution of a Sn atom (rather than Zn) by Mn is strongly favored. Thereafter, a comparison of total energy differences between ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) are given. Surprisingly, the exchange interaction between a Mn pairs is found to oscillate with the distance between them. Consequently, the AFM alignment is energetically favored in Mn-doped ZnSnAs{sub 2} compounds, except for low impurity concentration associated with lower distances between neighboring Mn impurities, in this case the stabilization of FM increases. Moreover, the ferromagnetic alignment in the Mn-doped ZnSnAs{sub 2} systems behaves half-metallic; the valence band for majority spin orientation is partially filled while there is a gap in the density of states for the minority spin orientation. This semiconducting gap of ~1 eV opened up in the minority channel and is due to the large bonding–antibonding splitting from the p–d hybridization. Our findings suggest that the Mn-doped ZnSnAs{sub 2} chalcopyrites could be a different class of ferromagnetic semiconductors. - Highlights: • ab initio calculations were performed on Mn doped ZnSnAs{sub 2} chalcopyrite. • Substitution of a Sn atom (rather than Zn) by Mn

  15. Theoretical perspective on the electronic, magnetic and optical properties of Zn-doped monolayer SnS{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Lili; Zhou, Wei; Liu, Yanyu; Yu, Dandan [Department of Applied Physics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials Physics and Preparing Technology, Faculty of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Liang, Yinghua [College of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009 (China); Wu, Ping, E-mail: pingwu@tju.edu.cn [Department of Applied Physics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials Physics and Preparing Technology, Faculty of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • The Zn doping in monolayer SnS{sub 2} is energetically favored under S-rich condition. • The room temperature ferromagnetism can be realized in Zn-doped monolayer SnS{sub 2}. • The Zn doping enhances the effective utilization in the near-infrared light region. • The Zn doping could lead to the red shift of absorption edge in monolayer SnS{sub 2}. • The Zn-doped monolayer SnS{sub 2} is active for both the oxygen and hydrogen evolution. - Abstract: The electronic, magnetic and optical properties of Zn-doped monolayer SnS{sub 2} have been theoretically investigated with the density functional theory. Numerical results reveal that monolayer SnS{sub 2} can be easily synthesized by cleaving its bulk crystal. Besides, the Zn doping in monolayer SnS{sub 2} is energetically favored under the S-rich with respect to the Sn-rich condition. The doped system exhibits the magnetic ground states due to the formation of defect states above the Fermi level, which are introduced by the hybridization between S-3p states and a small amount of Sn-4d states. The room temperature ferromagnetism can also be realized in Zn-doped monolayer SnS{sub 2}. The injection of Zn can enhance the absorption efficiency of solar spectrum, especially in the near-infrared light region. Moreover, the Zn doping can enhance the photocatalytic activity for both the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions in the monolayer SnS{sub 2}.

  16. Fabrication of p-type conductivity in SnO{sub 2} thin films through Ga doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsay, Chien-Yie, E-mail: cytsay@fcu.edu.tw; Liang, Shan-Chien

    2015-02-15

    Highlights: • P-type Ga-doped SnO{sub 2} semiconductor films were prepared by sol-gel spin coating. • Optical bandgaps of the SnO{sub 2}:Ga films are narrower than that of the SnO{sub 2} film. • SnO{sub 2}:Ga films exhibited p-type conductivity as Ga doping content higher than 10%. • A p-n heterojunction composed of p-type SnO{sub 2}:Ga and n-type ZnO:Al was fabricated. - Abstract: P-type transparent tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) based semiconductor thin films were deposited onto alkali-free glass substrates by a sol-gel spin-coating method using gallium (Ga) as acceptor dopant. In this study, we investigated the influence of Ga doping concentration ([Ga]/[Sn] + [Ga] = 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) on the structural, optical and electrical properties of SnO{sub 2} thin films. XRD analysis results showed that dried Ga-doped SnO{sub 2} (SnO{sub 2}:Ga) sol-gel films annealed in oxygen ambient at 520 °C for 1 h exhibited only the tetragonal rutile phase. The average optical transmittance of as-prepared thin film samples was higher than 87.0% in the visible light region; the optical band gap energy slightly decreased from 3.92 eV to 3.83 eV with increases in Ga doping content. Hall effect measurement showed that the nature of conductivity of SnO{sub 2}:Ga thin films changed from n-type to p-type when the Ga doping level was 10%, and when it was at 15%, Ga-doped SnO{sub 2} thin films exhibited the highest mean hole concentration of 1.70 × 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}. Furthermore, a transparent p-SnO{sub 2}:Ga (Ga doping level of 15%)/n-ZnO:Al (Al doping level of 2%) heterojunction was fabricated on alkali-free glass. The I-V curve measurement for the p-n heterojunction diode showed a typical rectifying characteristic with a forward turn-on voltage of 0.65 V.

  17. Scintillation and optical properties of Sn-doped Ga2O3 single crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usui, Yuki; Nakauchi, Daisuke; Kawano, Naoki; Okada, Go; Kawaguchi, Noriaki; Yanagida, Takayuki

    2018-06-01

    Sn-doped Ga2O3 single crystals were synthesized by the Floating Zone (FZ) method. In photoluminescence (PL) under the excitation wavelength of 280 nm, we observed two types of luminescence: (1) defect luminescence due to recombination of the donor/acceptor pairs which appears at 430 nm and (2) the nsnp-ns2 transitions of Sn2+ which appear at 530 nm. The PL and scintillation decay time curves of the Sn-doped samples were approximated by a sum of exponential decay functions. The faster two components were ascribed to the defect luminescence, and the slowest component was owing to the nsnp-ns2 transitions. In the pulse height spectrum measurements under 241Am α-rays irradiation, all the Sn-doped Ga2O3 samples were confirmed to show a full energy absorption peak but the undoped one. Among the present samples, the 1% Sn-doped sample exhibited the highest scintillation light yield (1,500 ± 150 ph/5.5 MeV-α).

  18. Deposition of Cu-doped PbS thin films with low resistivity using DC sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hariyadi Soetedjo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Investigation of the electrical resistivity of Cu-doped PbS thin films has been carried out. The films were prepared using a DC sputtering technique. The doping was achieved by introducing the Cu dopant plate material directly on the surface of the PbS sputtering target plate. SEM-EDX data shows the Cu concentration in the PbS film to be proportional to the Cu plate diameter. The XRD pattern indicates the film is in crystalline cubic form. The Hall effect measurement shows that Cu doping yields an increase in the carrier concentration to 3.55 × 1019 cm−3 and a significant decrease in electrical resistivity. The lowest resistivity obtained was 0.13 Ωcm for a Cu concentration of 18.5%. Preferential orientation of (1 1 1 and (2 0 0 occurs during deposition. Keywords: Thin films, Lead sulfide, Sputtering, Resistivity, Semiconductor, Infrared

  19. Synthesis and superconductivity of In-doped SnTe nanostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piranavan Kumaravadivel

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available InxSn1−xTe is a time-reversal invariant candidate 3D topological superconductor derived from doping the topological crystalline insulator SnTe with indium. The ability to synthesize low-dimensional nanostructures of indium-doped SnTe is key for realizing the promise they hold in future spintronic and quantum information processing applications. But hitherto only bulk synthesized crystals and nanoplates have been used to study the superconducting properties. Here for the first time we synthesize InxSn1−xTe nanostructures including nanowires and nanoribbons, which show superconducting transitions. In some of the lower dimensional morphologies, we observe signs of more than one superconducting transition and the absence of complete superconductivity. We propose that material inhomogeneity, such as indium inhomogeneity and possible impurities from the metal catalyst, is amplified in the transport characteristics of the smaller nanostructures and is responsible for this mixed behavior. Our work represents the first demonstration of InxSn1−xTe nanowires with the onset of superconductivity, and points to the need for improving the material quality for future applications.

  20. Synthesis and lithium storage properties of Zn, Co and Mg doped SnO2 Nano materials

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Palaniyandy, Nithyadharseni

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we show that magnesium and cobalt doped SnO2 (Mg-SnO2 and Co-SnO2) nanostructures have profound influence on the discharge capacity and coulombic efficiency of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) employing pure SnO2 and zinc doped SnO2 (Zn-Sn...

  1. Investigation on structural, surface morphological and dielectric properties of Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sagadevan, Suresh [Department of Physics, AMET University, Chennai (India); Podder, Jiban, E-mail: sureshsagadevan@gmail.com [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan (Canada)

    2016-03-15

    Zinc doped Tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation method. The average crystallite size of pure and Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles was calculated from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The FT-IR spectrum indicated the strong presence of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. The morphology and the particle size were studied using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The particle size of the Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles was also analyzed, using the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) experiment. The optical properties were studied by the UV-Visible absorption spectrum. The dielectric properties of Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles were studied at different frequencies and temperatures. The ac conductivity of Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles was also studied. (author)

  2. Effect of co-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles on photoluminescence of cu-doped potassium lithium borate glass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Namma, Haydar Aboud; Wagiran, H.; Hussin, R.; Ariwahjoedi, B. [Department of Physics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310, Malaysia and Baghdad College of Economic Sciences University (Iraq); Fundamental and Applied Sciences Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 31750 Tronoh (Malaysia)

    2012-09-26

    The SnO{sub 2} co-doped lithium potassium borate glasses doped with 0.05, 0.10, 0.25 and 0.50 mol% of Cu were synthesized by the melt quenching technique. The SnO{sub 2} co-dope was added to the compounds in the amounts of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 mol%. The photoluminescent spectrum for different concentrations of copper was studied. It was observed that the intensity of blue emission (450, 490 nm) varies with concentration mol%. In addition, with different concentration of SnO{sub 2} to 0.10 mol% Cu, the influence of the luminescence has been observed to enhance intensity and shifted to blue and red (490, 535 nm) emissions.

  3. Deposition and characterization of single magnetron deposited Fe:SnO{sub x} coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kormunda, Martin, E-mail: martin.kormunda@ujep.cz [J.E. Purkinje University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, Ceske mladeze 8, 400 96 Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic); Fischer, Daniel; Hertwig, Andreas; Beck, Uwe [BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Division 6 4 Surface Technologies, Unter den Eichen 44-46, 12203 Berlin (Germany); Sebik, Matej; Pavlik, Jaroslav [J.E. Purkinje University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, Ceske mladeze 8, 400 96 Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic); Esser, Norbert [Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften — ISAS e.V., Department Berlin, Schwarzschildstr. 12, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2015-11-30

    Coatings deposited by magnetron co-sputtering from a single RF magnetron with a ceramic SnO{sub 2} target with iron inset in argon plasma were studied. The mass spectra of the process identified Sn{sup +} and SnO{sup +} species as the dominant species sputtered from the target, but no SnO{sub 2}{sup +} species were detected. The dominant positive ions in argon plasma are Ar{sup +} species. The only detected negative ions were O{sup −}. Sputtered neutral tin related species were not detected. Iron related species were also not detected because their concentration is below the detection limit. The concentration of iron dopant in the tin oxide coatings was controlled by the RF bias applied on the substrate holder while the discharge pressure also has some influence. The iron concentration was in the range from 0.9 at.% up to 19 at.% increasing with the substrate bias while the sheet resistivity decreases. The stoichiometry ratio of O/(Sn + Fe) in the coatings increased from 1.7 up to 2 in dependence on the substrate bias from floating bias (− 5 V) up to − 120 V of RF self-bias, respectively. The tin in the coatings was mainly bonded in Sn{sup 4+} state and iron was mainly in Fe{sup 2+} state when other tin bonding states were detected only in a small amounts. Iron bonding states in contrary to elemental compositions of the coatings were not influenced by the RF bias applied on the substrate. The coatings showed high transparency in the visible spectral range. However, an increased metallic behavior could be detected by using a higher RF bias for the deposition. The X-ray diffraction patterns and electron microscopy pictures made on the coatings confirmed the presence of an amorphous phase. - Highlights: • RF magnetron sputtering of SnO{sub 2} target with Fe inset in argon investigated by mass spectrometry • Optical properties of Fe doped SnO{sub x} coatings characterized • Analyses of overlapped XPS peaks at a spectrum from Fe doped SnO{sub x} coatings

  4. Synthesis of Ce-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles and their acetone gas sensing properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lian, Xiaoxue, E-mail: lianxiaoxues@163.com; Li, Yan; Tong, Xiaoqiang; Zou, Yunling; Liu, Xiulin; An, Dongmin; Wang, Qiong

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • The Ce-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles were fabricated via a simple hydrothermal method. • Ce ions were successfully doped into the SnO{sub 2} lattice, and 5 wt% SnO{sub 2}:Ce had a higher specific surface area. • The Ce-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles exhibited the highest response values and a well selectivity to acetone. - Abstract: Hydrothermal method was generally used to synthesis nanoparticles, which was used to fabricate pure and Ce-doped (3 wt%, 5 wt%, 7 wt%) SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles in this experiment. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The results clearly indicated that the nanoparticles were composed of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles and Ce ions were successfully doped into the SnO{sub 2} lattice, and 5 wt% SnO{sub 2}:Ce has a higher specific surface area (173.53 m{sup 2}/g). Importantly, SnO{sub 2}:Ce sensor had obviously improved performance compared to pure SnO{sub 2} and exhibited the highest response values (50.5 for 50 ppm) and a well selectivity to acetone at 270 °C. It could detect acetone gas in a wide concentration range with very high response, good long-term stability and repeatability of response. The possible sensing mechanism was discussed in this paper.

  5. Synthesis and characterization of vanadium doped SnO2 diluted magnetic semiconductor nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazloom, J.; Ghodsi, F.E.; Golmojdeh, H.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Pure and V-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized using a facile sol–gel route. • The V 4+ ions were incorporated into the SnO 2 lattice and located at the Sn 4+ sites. • TEM images reveled that by increasing the doping content, average grain size decreased. • We show that the V-doped SnO 2 is more photoactive than undoped SnO 2 . • The V-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles exhibited ferromagnetism at room temperature. - Abstract: Vanadium doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile sol–gel method. Different analytical techniques including TG/DTG, XRD, XPS, VSM and PL were used to investigate the influence of dopant concentration on structural, morphological, compositional, magnetic and optical properties of prepared nanoparticles. The XRD study showed a dominant tetragonal structure. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy proved the presence of vanadium as V 4+ species. TEM image revealed that particle size decrease by doping. It was found that room temperature ferromagnetic (RTFM) behavior is strongly dependent on vanadium dopant content and the magnetic saturation dropped rapidly with increasing V content, which can be explained reasonably through bound magnetic polaron (BMP) model. A quenching in green luminescence intensity was observed in V-doped SnO 2 compared to undoped sample. The 5% V-doped SnO 2 sample showed better photocatalytic activity than undoped one in decomposing methylene blue and rhodamine B

  6. Long afterglow property of Er"3"+ doped Ca_2SnO_4 phosphor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Dongyun; Shi, Mingming; Sun, Yiwen; Guo, Yunyun; Chang, Chengkang

    2016-01-01

    A novel green emitting long afterglow phosphor, Er"3"+ -doped Ca_2SnO_4 (Ca_2SnO_4:Er"3"+), was prepared successfully via a traditional high temperature solid–state reaction method. Its properties have been characterized and analyzed by utilizing x-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscope (PLS), afterglow decay curve (ADC) and thermal luminescence spectroscope (TLS). Three main emission peaks of PLS locate at 524, 550 and 668 nm, corresponding to CIE chromaticity coordinates of x = 0.326, y = 0.6592. An optimal doping concentration of Er"3"+ of 2% was determined. The Ca_2SnO_4:Er"3"+ phosphors showed a typical triple-exponential afterglow decay behavior when the UV source was switched off. Thermal simulated luminescence study indicated that the persistent afterglow of Ca_2SnO_4:2 mol% Er"3"+ phosphors was generated by the suitable electron or hole traps which were resulted from the doping the Ca_2SnO_4 host with rare-earth ions (Er"3"+). - Highlights: • A novel green emitting long afterglow phosphor, Ca_2SnO_4:Er"3"+, was prepared. • An optimal doping concentration of Er"3"+ of 2% was determined. • After the UV source was turned off, the Ca_2SnO_4:Er"3"+ showed a typical triple-exponential afterglow decay behavior. • CIE chromaticity coordinates results confirmed a green light emitting of the Ca_2SnO_4:Er"3"+. • The persistent afterglow of the Ca_2SnO_4:Er"3"+ was attributed to suitable electron or hole traps.

  7. Electronic and magnetic properties of SnS2 monolayer doped with non-magnetic elements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Wen-Zhi; Xiao, Gang; Rong, Qing-Yan; Wang, Ling-Ling

    2018-05-01

    We performed a systematic study of the electronic structures and magnetic properties of SnS2 monolayer doped with non-magnetic elements in groups IA, IIA and IIIA based on the first-principles methods. The doped systems exhibit half-metallic and metallic natures depending on the doping elements. The formation of magnetic moment is attributable to the cooperative effect of the Hund's rule coupling and hole concentration. The spin polarization can be stabilized and enhanced through confining the delocalized impurity states by biaxial tensile strain in hole-doped SnS2 monolayer. Both the double-exchange and p-p exchange mechanisms are simultaneously responsible for the ferromagnetic ground state in those hole-doped materials. Our results demonstrate that spin polarization can be induced and controlled in SnS2 monolayers by non-magnetic doping and tensile strain.

  8. Characteristics of nano Ti-doped SnO2 powders prepared by sol-gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, X.M.; Wu, S.L.; Chu, Paul K.; Zheng, J.; Li, S.L.

    2006-01-01

    Ti 4+ -doped SnO 2 nano-powders were prepared by the sol-gel process using tin tetrachloride and titanium tetrachloride as the starting materials. The crystallinity and purity of the powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the size and distribution of Ti 4+ -doped SnO 2 grains were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that Ti 4+ has been successfully incorporated into the SnO 2 crystal lattice and the electrical conductivity of the doped materials improves significantly

  9. TDPAC study of Cd-doped SnO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munoz, E. L., E-mail: munoz@fisica.unlp.edu.ar [Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Departamento de Fisica-IFLP (CCT-La Plata, CONICET-UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas (Argentina); Carbonari, A. W. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas y Nucleares-IPEN-CNEN/SP (Brazil); Errico, L. A. [Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Departamento de Fisica-IFLP (CCT-La Plata, CONICET-UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas (Argentina); Bibiloni, A. G. [Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas (Argentina); Petrilli, H. M. [Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Fisica (Brazil); Renteria, M. [Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Departamento de Fisica-IFLP (CCT-La Plata, CONICET-UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas (Argentina)

    2007-07-15

    The combination of hyperfine techniques and ab initio calculations has been shown to be a powerful tool to unravel structural and electronic characterizations of impurities in solids. A recent example has been the study of Cd-doped SnO, where ab initio calculations questioned previous TDPAC assignments of the electric-field gradient (EFG) in {sup 111}In-implanted Sn-O thin films. Here we present new TDPAC experiments at {sup 111}In-diffused polycrystalline SnO. A reversible temperature dependence of the EFG was observed in the range 295-900 K. The TDPAC results were compared with theoretical calculations performed with the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method, in the framework of the density functional theory. Through the comparison with the theoretical results, we infer that different electronic surroundings around Cd impurities can coexist in the SnO sample.

  10. TDPAC study of Cd-doped SnO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Munoz, E. L.; Carbonari, A. W.; Errico, L. A.; Bibiloni, A. G.; Petrilli, H. M.; Renteria, M.

    2007-01-01

    The combination of hyperfine techniques and ab initio calculations has been shown to be a powerful tool to unravel structural and electronic characterizations of impurities in solids. A recent example has been the study of Cd-doped SnO, where ab initio calculations questioned previous TDPAC assignments of the electric-field gradient (EFG) in 111 In-implanted Sn-O thin films. Here we present new TDPAC experiments at 111 In-diffused polycrystalline SnO. A reversible temperature dependence of the EFG was observed in the range 295-900 K. The TDPAC results were compared with theoretical calculations performed with the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method, in the framework of the density functional theory. Through the comparison with the theoretical results, we infer that different electronic surroundings around Cd impurities can coexist in the SnO sample.

  11. Preparation and near-infrared absorption of nano-SnO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} assemblies with doping and without doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hai Shujie [Faculty of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Lu Mo Road 388, Wuhan 430074 (China); Yan Chunjie, E-mail: chjyan2005@126.co [Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Lu Mo Road 388, Wuhan 430074 (China); Yu Hongjie; Xiao Guoqi; Wang Duo [Faculty of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Lu Mo Road 388, Wuhan 430074 (China)

    2009-11-20

    The assemblies of nano-SnO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} and Sb- or Pd-doped nano-SnO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}, in which the nano-SnO{sub 2} particles are located in the pores of mesoporous SiO{sub 2} dry gels, were synthesized. Only for the Sb-doped nano-SnO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} assemblies, a broad near-infrared absorption step occurs in the optical absorption spectrum of the wavelength range from 300 to 1500 nm. The near-infrared absorption phenomenon is attributed to electronic transitions from the ground states to the excitation states of the impurity energy levels, which are formed by Sb doping in SnO{sub 2}. With increasing the weight ratio of SnO{sub 2}:SiO{sub 2} or the annealing temperature, the near-infrared absorption step slope side exhibits 'red shift', which is caused by the quantum confinement effect weakening due to the increased SnO{sub 2} crystalline diameter.

  12. SnO{sub 2}:F thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering: effect of the SnF{sub 2} amount in the target on the physical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Moure F, F. [universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Facultad de Quimica Materiales, Queretaro 76010, Queretaro (Mexico); Guillen C, A.; Nieto Z, K. E.; Quinones G, J. G.; Hernandez H, A.; Melendez L, M.; Olvera, M. de la L., E-mail: fcomoure@hotmail.com [IPN, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Departamento de Fisica, Apdo. Postal 14-740, 07360 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

    2013-08-01

    SnO{sub 2}:F thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates using SnF{sub 2} as fluorine source. The films were deposited under a mixed argon/hydrogen atmosphere at a substrate temperature of 500 C. The X-ray diffraction shows that polycrystalline films were grown with a phases mixture of SnO{sub 2} and Sn O. The optical transmittance is between 80 and 90%. The physical properties of the films suggest that SnO{sub 2} thin films grown with small SnF{sub 2} content in the target can be considered as candidates for transparent electrodes. (Author)

  13. Single-Crystal Growth of Cl-Doped n-Type SnS Using SnCl2 Self-Flux.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iguchi, Yuki; Inoue, Kazutoshi; Sugiyama, Taiki; Yanagi, Hiroshi

    2018-06-05

    SnS is a promising photovoltaic semiconductor owing to its suitable band gap energy and high optical absorption coefficient for highly efficient thin film solar cells. The most significant carnage is demonstration of n-type SnS. In this study, Cl-doped n-type single crystals were grown using SnCl 2 self-flux method. The obtained crystal was lamellar, with length and width of a few millimeters and thickness ranging between 28 and 39 μm. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed the single crystals had an orthorhombic unit cell. Since the ionic radii of S 2- and Cl - are similar, Cl doping did not result in substantial change in lattice parameter. All the elements were homogeneously distributed on a cleaved surface; the Sn/(S + Cl) ratio was 1.00. The crystal was an n-type degenerate semiconductor with a carrier concentration of ∼3 × 10 17 cm -3 . Hall mobility at 300 K was 252 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and reached 363 cm 2 V -1 s -1 at 142 K.

  14. Deposition of Cu-doped PbS thin films with low resistivity using DC sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soetedjo, Hariyadi; Siswanto, Bambang; Aziz, Ihwanul; Sudjatmoko

    2018-03-01

    Investigation of the electrical resistivity of Cu-doped PbS thin films has been carried out. The films were prepared using a DC sputtering technique. The doping was achieved by introducing the Cu dopant plate material directly on the surface of the PbS sputtering target plate. SEM-EDX data shows the Cu concentration in the PbS film to be proportional to the Cu plate diameter. The XRD pattern indicates the film is in crystalline cubic form. The Hall effect measurement shows that Cu doping yields an increase in the carrier concentration to 3.55 × 1019 cm-3 and a significant decrease in electrical resistivity. The lowest resistivity obtained was 0.13 Ωcm for a Cu concentration of 18.5%. Preferential orientation of (1 1 1) and (2 0 0) occurs during deposition.

  15. A comparative study on the flux pinning properties of Zr-doped YBCO film with those of Sn-doped one prepared by metal-organic deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, S. M.; Shin, G. M.; Joo, Y.S.; Yoo, S. I.

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the flux pinning properties of both 10 mol% Zr-and Sn-doped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) films with the same thickness of ∽350 nm for a comparative purpose. The films were prepared on the SrTiO 3 (STO) single crystal substrate by the metal-organic deposition (MOD) process. Compared with Sn-doped YBCO film, Zr-doped one exhibited a significant enhancement in the critical current density (J c ) and pinning force density (F p ). The anisotropic J c ,min/J c ,max ratio in the field-angle dependence of J c at 77 K for 1 T was also improved from 0.23 for Sn-doped YBCO to 0.39 for Zr-doped YBCO. Thus, the highest magnetic J c values of 9.0 and 2.9 MA/cm 2 with the maximum F p (F p ,max) values of 19 and 5 GN/m 3 at 65 and 77 K for H // c, respectively, could be achieved from Zr-doped YBCO film. The stronger pinning effect in Zr-doped YBCO film is attributable to smaller BaZrO-3 (BZO) nanoparticles (the average size ≈ 28.4 nm) than YBa 2 SnO 5. 5 (YBSO) nanoparticles (the average size ≈ 45.0 nm) incorporated in Sn-doped YBCO film since smaller nanoparticles can generate more defects acting as effective flux pinning sites due to larger incoherent interfacial area for the same doping concentration.

  16. Study of sub band gap absorption of Sn doped CdSe thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaur, Jagdish; Rani, Mamta; Tripathi, S. K.

    2014-01-01

    The nanocrystalline thin films of Sn doped CdSe at different dopants concentration are prepared by thermal evaporation technique on glass substrate at room temperature. The effect of Sn doping on the optical properties of CdSe has been studied. A decrease in band gap value is observed with increase in Sn concentration. Constant photocurrent method (CPM) is used to study the absorption coefficient in the sub band gap region. Urbach energy has been obtained from CPM spectra which are found to increase with amount of Sn dopants. The refractive index data calculated from transmittance is used for the identification of oscillator strength and oscillator energy using single oscillator model which is found to be 7.7 and 2.12 eV, 6.7 and 2.5 eV for CdSe:Sn 1% and CdSe:Sn 5% respectively

  17. Study of sub band gap absorption of Sn doped CdSe thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaur, Jagdish; Rani, Mamta [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh- 160014 (India); Tripathi, S. K., E-mail: surya@pu.ac.in [Centre of Advanced Study in Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh- 160014 (India)

    2014-04-24

    The nanocrystalline thin films of Sn doped CdSe at different dopants concentration are prepared by thermal evaporation technique on glass substrate at room temperature. The effect of Sn doping on the optical properties of CdSe has been studied. A decrease in band gap value is observed with increase in Sn concentration. Constant photocurrent method (CPM) is used to study the absorption coefficient in the sub band gap region. Urbach energy has been obtained from CPM spectra which are found to increase with amount of Sn dopants. The refractive index data calculated from transmittance is used for the identification of oscillator strength and oscillator energy using single oscillator model which is found to be 7.7 and 2.12 eV, 6.7 and 2.5 eV for CdSe:Sn 1% and CdSe:Sn 5% respectively.

  18. Hydrogen peroxide route to Sn-doped titania photocatalysts

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Štengl, Václav; Matys Grygar, Tomáš; Henych, Jiří; Kormunda, M.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 1 (2012), s. 113 ISSN 1752-153X Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : photocatalysis * Sn doping * TiO2 * Vis light * Wet synthesis Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.312, year: 2012

  19. Electrical characterisation of Sn doped InAs grown by MOVPE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shamba, P.; Botha, L.; Krug, T.; Venter, A.; Botha, J.R.

    2008-01-01

    The feasibility of tetraethyl tin (TESn) as an n-type dopant for InAs is investigated. The electrical properties of Sn doped InAs films grown on semi-insulating GaAs substrates by MOVPE are extensively studied as a function of substrate temperature, V/III ratio, substrate orientation and TESn flow rate. Results from this study show that Sn concentrations can be controlled over 2 orders of magnitude. The Sn doped InAs layers exhibit carrier concentrations between 2.7 x 10 17 and 4.7 x 10 19 cm -3 with 77 K mobilities ranging from 12 000 to 1300 cm 2 /Vs. Furthermore, the influence of the variation of these parameters on the structural properties of InAs are also reported. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  20. Magnetron sputtered gadolinia-doped ceria diffusion barriers for metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sønderby, Steffen; Klemensø, Trine; Christensen, Bjarke H.

    2014-01-01

    Gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) thin films are deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in an industrial-scale setup and implemented as barrier layers between the cathode and electrolyte in metal-based solid oxide fuel cells consisting of a metal support, an electrolyte of ZrO2 co-doped with Sc2O3...

  1. A quantum chemical analysis of Zn and Sb doping and co-doping in SnO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Villamagua

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This work presents a quantum chemical study of Zn and Sb doping and co-doping in SnO2 carried out by a DFT+U method. The analysis has been developed by introducing three different modifications in the otherwise pure SnO2 system. In the first place, an oxygen vacancy was introduced within the crystal. Following, such a system was doped (separately by Zn or Sb impurities. Finally, the best energetic positions for both Zn and Sb atoms were simultaneously introduced within the lattice. Results of the simulations show that the confined charge that appeared due to the introduction of the oxygen vacancy interacts with the dopants atoms, being this interaction mostly responsible of the observed effects, i.e., EG shrinkage, F-centers formations, and magnetic momentum rise.

  2. Doping effects on the structural, magnetic, and hyperfine properties of Gd-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coelho-Júnior, H.; Aquino, J. C. R.; Aragón, F. H. [Universidade de Brasília, Núcleo de Física Aplicada, Instituto de Física (Brazil); Hidalgo, P. [Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade Gama-FGA, Setor Central Gama (Brazil); Cohen, R.; Nagamine, L. C. C. M. [Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Física (Brazil); Coaquira, J. A. H., E-mail: coaquira@unb.br; Silva, S. W. da [Universidade de Brasília, Núcleo de Física Aplicada, Instituto de Física (Brazil); Brito, H. F. [Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Química (Brazil)

    2014-12-15

    In this work we present the study of the structural, magnetic, and hyperfine properties of Gd-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles synthesized by a polymer precursor method. The X-ray diffraction data analysis shows the formation of the rutile-type structure in all samples with Gd content from 1.0 to 10.0 mol%. The mean crystallite size is ∼11 nm for the 1.0 mol% Gd-doped samples and it shows a decreasing tendency as the Gd content is increased. The analysis of magnetic measurements indicates the coexistence of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases for the 1.0 mol% Gd-doped sample; however, above that content, only a paramagnetic phase is observed. The ferromagnetic phase observed in the 1.0 mol% Gd-doped sample has been assigned to the presence of bound magnetic polarons which overlap to create a spin-split impurity band. Room-temperature {sup 119}Sn Mössbauer measurements reveal the occurrence of strong electric quadrupole interactions. It has been determined that the absence of magnetic interactions even for 1.0 mol% Gd-doped sample has been related to the weak magnetic field associated to the exchange interaction between magnetic ions and the donor impurity band. The broad distribution of electric quadrupole interactions are attributed to the several non-equivalent surroundings of Sn{sup 4+} ions provoked by the entrance of Gd{sup 3+} ions and to the likely presence of Sn{sup 2+} ions. The isomer shift seems to be nearly independent of the Gd content for samples with Gd content below 7.5 mol%.

  3. A Fast Humidity Sensor Based on Li+-Doped SnO2 One-Dimensional Porous Nanofibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Yin

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available One-dimensional SnO2- and Li+-doped SnO2 porous nanofibers were easily fabricated via electrospinning and a subsequent calcination procedure for ultrafast humidity sensing. Different Li dopant concentrations were introduced to investigate the dopant’s role in sensing performance. The response properties were studied under different relative humidity levels by both statistic and dynamic tests. The best response was obtained with respect to the optimal doping of Li+ into SnO2 porous nanofibers with a maximum 15 times higher response than that of pristine SnO2 porous nanofibers, at a relative humidity level of 85%. Most importantly, the ultrafast response and recovery time within 1 s was also obtained with the 1.0 wt % doping of Li+ into SnO2 porous nanofibers at 5 V and at room temperature, benefiting from the co-contributions of Li-doping and the one-dimensional porous structure. This work provides an effective method of developing ultrafast sensors for practical applications—especially fast breathing sensors.

  4. Comparative study of zinc oxide and aluminum doped zinc oxide transparent thin films grown by direct current magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suchea, M.; Christoulakis, S.; Katsarakis, N.; Kitsopoulos, T.; Kiriakidis, G.

    2007-01-01

    Pure and aluminum (Al) doped zinc oxide (ZnO and ZAO) thin films have been grown using direct current (dc) magnetron sputtering from pure metallic Zn and ceramic ZnO targets, as well as from Al-doped metallic ZnAl2at.% and ceramic ZnAl2at.%O targets at room temperature (RT). The effects of target composition on the film's surface topology, crystallinity, and optical transmission have been investigated for various oxygen partial pressures in the sputtering atmosphere. It has been shown that Al-doped ZnO films sputtered from either metallic or ceramic targets exhibit different surface morphology than the undoped ZnO films, while their preferential crystalline growth orientation revealed by X-ray diffraction remains always the (002). More significantly, Al-doping leads to a larger increase of the optical transmission and energy gap (E g ) of the metallic than of the ceramic target prepared films

  5. Electrolytically exfoliated graphene-loaded flame-made Ni-doped SnO2 composite film for acetone sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singkammo, Suparat; Wisitsoraat, Anurat; Sriprachuabwong, Chakrit; Tuantranont, Adisorn; Phanichphant, Sukon; Liewhiran, Chaikarn

    2015-02-11

    In this work, flame-spray-made SnO2 nanoparticles are systematically studied by doping with 0.1-2 wt % nickel (Ni) and loading with 0.1-5 wt % electrolytically exfoliated graphene for acetone-sensing applications. The sensing films (∼12-18 μm in thickness) were prepared by a spin-coating technique on Au/Al2O3 substrates and evaluated for acetone-sensing performances at operating temperatures ranging from 150 to 350 °C in dry air. Characterizations by X-ray diffraction, transmission/scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that Ni-doped SnO2 nanostructures had a spheriodal morphology with a polycrystalline tetragonal SnO2 phase, and Ni was confirmed to form a solid solution with SnO2 lattice while graphene in the sensing film after annealing and testing still retained its high-quality nonoxidized form. Gas-sensing results showed that SnO2 sensing film with 0.1 wt % Ni-doping concentration exhibited an optimal response of 54.2 and a short response time of ∼13 s toward 200 ppm acetone at an optimal operating temperature of 350 °C. The additional loading of graphene at 5 wt % into 0.1 wt % Ni-doped SnO2 led to a drastic response enhancement to 169.7 with a very short response time of ∼5.4 s at 200 ppm acetone and 350 °C. The superior gas sensing performances of Ni-doped SnO2 nanoparticles loaded with graphene may be attributed to the large specific surface area of the composite structure, specifically the high interaction rate between acetone vapor and graphene-Ni-doped SnO2 nanoparticles interfaces and high electronic conductivity of graphene. Therefore, the 5 wt % graphene loaded 0.1 wt % Ni-doped SnO2 sensor is a promising candidate for fast, sensitive and selective detection of acetone.

  6. Compensation and persistent photocapacitance in homoepitaxial Sn-doped β-Ga2O3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polyakov, A. Y.; Smirnov, N. B.; Shchemerov, I. V.; Gogova, D.; Tarelkin, S. A.; Pearton, S. J.

    2018-03-01

    The electrical properties of epitaxial β-Ga2O3 doped with Sn (1016-9 × 1018 cm-3) and grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on semi-insulating β-Ga2O3 substrates are reported. Shallow donors attributable to Sn were observed only in a narrow region near the film/substrate interface and with a much lower concentration than the total Sn density. For heavily Sn doped films (Sn concentration, 9 × 1018 cm-3), the electrical properties in the top portion of the layer were determined by deep centers with a level at Ec-0.21 eV not described previously. In more lightly doped layers, the Ec-0.21 eV centers and deeper traps at Ec-0.8 eV were present, with the latter pinning the Fermi level. Low temperature photocapacitance and capacitance voltage measurements of illuminated samples indicated the presence of high densities (1017-1018 cm-3) of deep acceptors with an optical ionization threshold of 2.3 eV. Optical deep level transient spectroscopy (ODLTS) and photoinduced current transient spectroscopy (PICTS) detected electron traps at Ec-0.8 eV and Ec-1.1 eV. For lightly doped layers, the compensation of film conductivity was mostly provided by the Ec-2.3 eV acceptors. For heavily Sn doped films, deep acceptor centers possibly related to Ga vacancies were significant. The photocapacitance and the photocurrent caused by illumination at low temperatures were persistent, with an optical threshold of 1.9 eV and vanished only at temperatures of ˜400 K. The capture barrier for electrons causing the persistent photocapacitance effect was estimated from ODLTS and PICTS to be 0.25-0.35 eV.

  7. Sensitization of Perovskite Strontium Stannate SrSnO3 towards Visible-Light Absorption by Doping

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hungru Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Perovskite strontium stannate SrSnO3 is a promising photocatalyst. However, its band gap is too large for efficient solar energy conversion. In order to sensitize SrSnO3 toward visible-light activities, the effects of doping with various selected cations and anions are investigated by using hybrid density functional calculations. Results show that doping can result in dopant level to conduction band transitions which lie lower in energy compared to the original band gap transition. Therefore, it is expected that doping SrSnO3 can induce visible-light absorption.

  8. High-resolution photoluminescence spectroscopy of Sn-doped ZnO single crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, E. Senthil; Mohammadbeigi, F.; Boatner, L.A.; Watkins, S.P.

    2016-01-01

    Group IV donors in ZnO are poorly understood, despite evidence that they are effective n-type dopants. Here we present high-resolution photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy studies of unintentionally doped and Sn-doped ZnO single crystals grown by the chemical vapor transport method. Doped samples showed greatly increased emission from the I 10 bound exciton transition that was recently proven to be related to the incorporation of Sn impurities based on radio-isotope studies. The PL linewidths are exceptionally sharp for these samples, enabling a clear identification of several donor species. Temperature-dependent PL measurements of the I 10 line emission energy and intensity dependence reveal a behavior that is similar to other shallow donors in ZnO. Ionized donor bound-exciton and two-electron satellite transitions of the I 10 transition are unambiguously identified and yield a donor binding energy of 71 meV. In contrast to recent reports of Ge-related donors in ZnO, the spectroscopic binding energy for the Sn-related donor bound exciton follows a linear relationship with donor binding energy (Haynes rule) similar to recently observed carbon related donors, and confirming the shallow nature of this defect center, which was recently attributed to a Sn Zn double donor compensated by an unknown single acceptor.

  9. Wavelength-tuned light emission via modifying the band edge symmetry: Doped SnO2 as an example

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Hang

    2014-03-27

    We report the observation of ultraviolet photoluminescence and electroluminescence in indium-doped SnO2 thin films with modified "forbidden" bandgap. With increasing indium concentration in SnO 2, dominant visible light emission evolves into the ultraviolet regime in photoluminescence. Hybrid functional first-principles calculations demonstrate that the complex of indium dopant and oxygen vacancy breaks "forbidden" band gap to form allowed transition states. Furthermore, undoped and 10% indium-doped SnO2 layers are synthesized on p-type GaN substrates to obtain SnO2-based heterojunction light-emitting diodes. A dominant visible emission band is observed in the undoped SnO 2-based heterojunction, whereas strong near-ultraviolet emission peak at 398 nm is observed in the indium-doped SnO2-based heterojunction. Our results demonstrate an unprecedented doping-based approach toward tailoring the symmetry of band edge states and recovering ultraviolet light emission in wide-bandgap oxides. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  10. Carbon-doped SnS2 nanostructure as a high-efficiency solar fuel catalyst under visible light.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shown, Indrajit; Samireddi, Satyanarayana; Chang, Yu-Chung; Putikam, Raghunath; Chang, Po-Han; Sabbah, Amr; Fu, Fang-Yu; Chen, Wei-Fu; Wu, Chih-I; Yu, Tsyr-Yan; Chung, Po-Wen; Lin, M C; Chen, Li-Chyong; Chen, Kuei-Hsien

    2018-01-12

    Photocatalytic formation of hydrocarbons using solar energy via artificial photosynthesis is a highly desirable renewable-energy source for replacing conventional fossil fuels. Using an L-cysteine-based hydrothermal process, here we synthesize a carbon-doped SnS 2 (SnS 2 -C) metal dichalcogenide nanostructure, which exhibits a highly active and selective photocatalytic conversion of CO 2 to hydrocarbons under visible-light. The interstitial carbon doping induced microstrain in the SnS 2 lattice, resulting in different photophysical properties as compared with undoped SnS 2 . This SnS 2 -C photocatalyst significantly enhances the CO 2 reduction activity under visible light, attaining a photochemical quantum efficiency of above 0.7%. The SnS 2 -C photocatalyst represents an important contribution towards high quantum efficiency artificial photosynthesis based on gas phase photocatalytic CO 2 reduction under visible light, where the in situ carbon-doped SnS 2 nanostructure improves the stability and the light harvesting and charge separation efficiency, and significantly enhances the photocatalytic activity.

  11. Ni doping effect on the electronic and sensing properties of 2D SnO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Anjali; Roondhe, Basant; Jha, Prafulla K.

    2018-05-01

    In the present work using state of art first principles calculations under the frame work of density functional theory the effect of Nickel (Ni) doping on electronic as well as sensing properties of most stable two dimensional (2D) T-SnO2 phase towards ethanol (C2H5OH) has been observed. It has been found that Ni atom when dope on T-SnO2 causes prominent decrement in the band gap from 2.26 eV to 1.48 eV and improves the sensing phenomena of pristine T-SnO2 towards C2H5OH by increasing the binding energy from -0.18eV to -0.93eV. The comparative analysis of binding energy shows that Ni improves the binding of C2H5OH by 5.16 times the values for pristine T-SnO2. The doping of Ni into 2D T-SnO2 reduces the band gap through lowering of the conduction band minimum, thereby increasing the electron affinity which increases the sensing performance of T-SnO2. The variation in the electronic properties after and before the exposure of ethanol reinforced to use Ni:SnO2 nano structure for sensing applications. The results indicate that the Ni doped T-SnO2 can be utilized in improved optoelectronic as well as sensor devices in the future.

  12. Properties of RF magnetron sputtered gallium nitride semiconductors doped with erbium

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Peřina, Vratislav; Macková, Anna; Hnatowicz, Vladimír; Prajzler, V.; Machovič, V.; Matějka, P.; Schröfel, J.

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 36, č. 8 (2004), s. 952-954 ISSN 0142-2421 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/03/0387 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1048901 Keywords : Er-doped GaN * luminescence * magnetron sputtering Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.209, year: 2004

  13. Evaluation of Cu2ZnSnS4 Absorber Films Sputtered from a Single, Quaternary Target

    OpenAIRE

    Carlhamn Rasmussen, Liv

    2013-01-01

    Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a promising absorber material for thin-film solar cells since it contains no rare or toxic elements, has a high absorption coefficient and a near ideal bandgap energy. It does, however, present some challenges due to the limited single-phase region of the desired kesterite phase and its instability towards decomposition. Sputtering of CZTS from quaternary, compound targets using RF magnetron sputtering is known. In this thesis work CZTS absorbers were made using pulsed DC ...

  14. Al-doped SnO2 nanocrystals from hydrothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin Haiying; Xu Yaohua; Pang Guangsheng; Dong Wenjun; Wan Qiang; Sun Yan; Feng Shouhua

    2004-01-01

    Nanoparticles of Al-doped SnO 2 have been hydrothermally synthesized. The influences of the hydrothermal reaction time, the molar ratio of Sn/Al as well as the pH value of the solution have been studied. During the hydrothermal synthesis, the particle's core is rich in Sn and the surface is rich in Al. The Al-rich surface prevents the particles from further growing up either in the hydrothermal condition or during the calcination at 600 deg. C for a short period of time. The optimal hydrothermal synthesis condition of the nanoparticles is pH 5, Sn/Al=4:1 and 12 h at 160 deg. C. The products have been studied by XRD, TEM and 27 Al solid-state NMR

  15. Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Cr doped SnO2 nanoparticles stabilized with polyethylene glycol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subramanyam, K.; Sreelekha, N.; Murali, G.; Reddy, D. Amaranatha; Vijayalakshmi, R.P.

    2014-01-01

    Pure and Cr (1, 3, 5 and 7 at%) doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized in aqueous solution by a simple chemical co-precipitation method using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a stabilizing agent. The effect of Cr doping on the structural, optical and magnetic properties of SnO 2 nanoparticles was investigated. EDAX spectra confirmed the presence of Sn, O and Cr in near stoichiometry. XRD patterns revealed that particles of all samples were crystallized in single phase rutile type tetragonal crystal structure (P4 2 /mnm) of SnO 2 . The peak positions with Cr concentration shifted to higher 2θ values. Lattice parameters were also decreased with increasing Cr concentration. TEM studies indicated that the particle size is in the range of 8–10 nm. The optical absorption studies indicated that the absorption edge shifted towards lower wavelengths with inclusion of Cr content. FTIR spectrum displays various bands that are due to fundamental overtones of PEG and O–Sn–O entities. Further it revealed that the undoped and as well as Cr doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were capped by PEG. Magnetization measurements at room temperature revealed that all the doped samples were ferromagnetic in nature. Well defined strong room temperature ferromagnetic hysteresis loop was observed for 1% Cr doped SnO 2 nanoparticles

  16. Electrochemical synthesis of nanostructured Se-doped SnS: Effect of Se-dopant on surface characterizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kafashan, Hosein; Azizieh, Mahdi; Balak, Zohre

    2017-07-01

    SnS1-xSex nanostructures with different Se-dopant concentrations were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate through cathodic electrodeposition technique. The pH, temperature, applied potential (E), and deposition time remained were 2.1, 60 °C, -1 V, and 30 min, respectively. SnS1-xSex nanostructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microcopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), room temperature photoluminescence (PL), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The XRD patterns revealed that the SnS1-xSex nanostructures were polycrystalline with orthorhombic structure. FESEM showed various kinds of morphologies in SnS1-xSex nanostructures due to Se-doping. PL and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to evaluate the optical properties of SnS1-xSex thin films. The PL spectra of SnS1-xSex nanostructures displayed four emission peaks, those are a blue, a green, an orange, and a red emission. UV-vis spectra showed that the optical band gap energy (Eg) of SnS1-xSex nanostructures varied between 1.22-1.65 eV, due to Se-doping.

  17. Thermoelectric Properties of SnO2 Ceramics Doped with Sb and Zn

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yanagiya, S.; Van Nong, Ngo; Xu, Jianxiao Jackie

    2011-01-01

    Polycrystalline SnO2-based samples (Sn0.97−x Sb0.03Zn x O2, x = 0, 0.01, 0.03) were prepared by solid-state reactions. The thermoelectric properties of SnO2 doped with Sb and Zn were investigated from 300 K to 1100 K. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed all XRD peaks of all the samples...

  18. Microscopic Examination of Cold Spray Cermet Sn+In2O3 Coatings for Sputtering Target Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winnicki, M; Baszczuk, A; Rutkowska-Gorczyca, M; Jasiorski, M; Małachowska, A; Posadowski, W; Znamirowski, Z; Ambroziak, A

    2017-01-01

    Low-pressure cold spraying is a newly developed technology with high application potential. The aim of this study was to investigate potential application of this technique for producing a new type of transparent conductive oxide films target. Cold spraying technique allows the manufacture of target directly on the backing plate; therefore the proposed sputtering target has a form of Sn+In 2 O 3 coating sprayed onto copper substrate. The microstructure and properties of the feedstock powder prepared using three various methods as well as the deposited ones by low-pressure cold spraying coatings were evaluated, compared, and analysed. Produced cermet Sn+In 2 O 3 targets were employed in first magnetron sputtering process to deposit preliminary, thin, transparent conducting oxide films onto the glass substrates. The resistivity of obtained preliminary films was measured and allows believing that fabrication of TCO (transparent conducting oxide) films using targets produced by cold spraying is possible in the future, after optimization of the deposition conditions.

  19. Microscopic Examination of Cold Spray Cermet Sn+In2O3 Coatings for Sputtering Target Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Winnicki

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Low-pressure cold spraying is a newly developed technology with high application potential. The aim of this study was to investigate potential application of this technique for producing a new type of transparent conductive oxide films target. Cold spraying technique allows the manufacture of target directly on the backing plate; therefore the proposed sputtering target has a form of Sn+In2O3 coating sprayed onto copper substrate. The microstructure and properties of the feedstock powder prepared using three various methods as well as the deposited ones by low-pressure cold spraying coatings were evaluated, compared, and analysed. Produced cermet Sn+In2O3 targets were employed in first magnetron sputtering process to deposit preliminary, thin, transparent conducting oxide films onto the glass substrates. The resistivity of obtained preliminary films was measured and allows believing that fabrication of TCO (transparent conducting oxide films using targets produced by cold spraying is possible in the future, after optimization of the deposition conditions.

  20. A low temperature situ precipitation route to designing Zn-doped SnO2 photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Xiaohua; Liu, Yingying; Wu, Xiangyang; Zhang, Zhen

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A new Zn doped SnO 2 photocatalyst was successfully achieved and characterized. • The Zn doped SnO 2 photocatalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and stability for the photodegradation RhB. • Photocatalytic mechanisms both under visible and UV–vis light irradiation were proposed. - Abstract: Zn doped SnO 2 nanoparticles have been fabricated through the low temperature situ precipitation technique. The morphology, structure and chemical composition of the nanoparticles are characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG–DSC) and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The products were also characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-photoelectron spectrum (XPS), and the results indicated that Sn 4+ ions were successfully substituted by Zn 2+ . Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated using rhodamine B (RhB) as a decomposition objective. The results show that the Zn doped SnO 2 display higher photocatalytic activities in the degradation of RhB than pure ZnO products by exposure to UV irradiation. A possible reason of the increased photocatalytic activity of Zn doped SnO 2 is attributed to intrinsic oxygen vacancies in nanoparticles and extrinsic defect due to Zn hole doping

  1. Highly efficient electrochemical degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) by F-doped Ti/SnO{sub 2} electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Bo, E-mail: boyang@szu.edu.cn [Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Jiang, Chaojin [Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Yu, Gang, E-mail: yg-den@tsinghua.edu.cn [School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Zhuo, Qiongfang [South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, The Ministry of Environment Protection, Guangzhou 510655 (China); Deng, Shubo [School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Wu, Jinhua [School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zhang, Hong [Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China)

    2015-12-15

    Highlights: • A novel SnO{sub 2} electrode is prepared by F doping instead of the traditional Sb doping. • SnF{sub 4} as single-source precursor is used to fabricate the long-life Ti/SnO{sub 2}–F anode. • F-doped Ti/SnO{sub 2} anode possesses high OEP and decomposition ability for PFOA. • Further mechanistic detail of PFOA degradation on Ti/SnO{sub 2}–F electrode is proposed. - Abstract: The novel F-doped Ti/SnO{sub 2} electrode prepared by SnF{sub 4} as the single-source precursor was used for electrochemical degradation of aqueous perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Higher oxidation reactivity and significantly longer service life were achieved for Ti/SnO{sub 2}–F electrode than Ti/SnO{sub 2}–X (X = Cl, Br, I, or Sb) electrode, which could decomposed over 99% of PFOA (50 mL of 100 mg L{sup −1}) within 30-min electrolysis. The property of Ti/SnO{sub 2}–F electrode and its electrooxidation mechanism were investigated by XRD, SEM–EDX, EIS, LSV, and interfacial resistance measurements. We propose that the similar ionic radii of F and O as well as strong electronegativity of F caused its electrochemical stability with high oxygen evolution potential (OEP) and smooth surface to generate weakly adsorbed ·OH. The preparation conditions of electrode were also optimized including F doping amount, calcination temperature, and dip coating times, which revealed the formation process of electrode. Additionally, the major mineralization product, F{sup −}, and low concentration of shorter chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) were detected in solution. So the reaction pathway of PFOA electrooxidation was proposed by intermediate analysis. These results demonstrate that Ti/SnO{sub 2}–F electrode is promising for highly efficient treatment of PFOA in wastewater.

  2. Reduced graphene oxide decorated with Fe doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles for humidity sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toloman, D. [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Popa, A., E-mail: popa@itim-cj.ro [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Stan, M.; Socaci, C.; Biris, A.R. [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Katona, G. [Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 11 Arany Janos Street, 400028 Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Tudorache, F. [Interdisciplinary Research Department – Field Science & RAMTECH, Al. I. Cuza University, 11 Carol I Blvd., 7000506 Iasi (Romania); Petrila, I. [Interdisciplinary Research Department – Field Science & RAMTECH, Al. I. Cuza University, 11 Carol I Blvd., 7000506 Iasi (Romania); Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Engineering, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University, 27 Dimitrie Mangeron Street, 700050 Iasi (Romania); Iacomi, F. [Faculty of Physics, Al. I. Cuza University, 11 Carol I Blvd., 7000506 Iasi (Romania)

    2017-04-30

    Highlights: • Reduced graphene oxide decorated with Fe doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized. • The decoration of rGO layers with SnO{sub 2}:Fe nanoparticles was highlited by TEM. • The reduction of graphene oxide was evidenced using XRD and FT-IR. • Sensitivity tests for relative humidity (RH) were carried out. • The composite sensor exhibited enhanced sensing response as compared with Fe:SnO{sub 2}. - Abstract: Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with Fe doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles were fabricated via the electrostatic interaction between positively charged modified Fe-doped SnO{sub 2} oxide and negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) in the presence of poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH). The decoration of rGO layers with SnO{sub 2}:Fe nanoparticles was highlited by TEM microsopy. For composite sample the diffraction patterns coincide well with those of SnO{sub 2}:Fe nanoparticles. The reduction of graphene oxide was evidenced using XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy. The formation of SnO{sub 2}:Fe-PAH-graphene composites was confirmed by FT-IR, Raman and EPR spectroscopy. Sensitivity tests for relative humidity (RH) measurements were carried out at five different concentrations of humid air at room temperature. The prepared composite sensor exhibited a higher sensing response as compared with Fe:SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles.

  3. Magnetism in 3d transition metal doped SnO

    KAUST Repository

    Albar, Arwa

    2016-09-12

    Using first principles calculations, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of 3d transition metal doped SnO. We examine the stability of different doping sites using formation energy calculations. The magnetic behavior of the dopant atoms is found to be complex because of interplay between strong structural relaxation, spin-lattice coupling, and crystal field splitting. The interaction between dopant atoms is analyzed as a function of their separation, showing that clustering typically counteracts spin polarization. An exception is found for V doping, which thus turns out to be a promising candidate for realizing a magnetic p-type oxide.

  4. Effects of Sn doping on the morphology, structure, and electrical property of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanofiber networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Xu; Wang, Yihua [Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, College of Materials and Textiles, Hangzhou (China); Yang, Bin [Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology, College of Materials and Textiles, Hangzhou (China); Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, College of Materials and Textiles, Hangzhou (China)

    2014-11-15

    This paper studies the effect of Sn doping on the morphological, structural, and electrical properties of the Sn-doping In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanofiber networks. In{sub 2}O{sub 3}-based nanofibers with various relative concentration of Sn precursor (0-20 mol%) were fabricated through the electrospinning method. Scanning electron microscopy observations show that, depending on the relative concentration of SnCl{sub 4} in the starting materials, the doped nanofibers with different morphologies, from smooth to corn-like and then to accidented, are fabricated. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the Sn dopants influence the growth direction of seeds, resulting in doped nanoparticles having diverse shapes and sizes, which are critical for the formation of doped nanofiber with different morphology. From these nanofiber networks, we fabricated several thin sheets to characterize the effect of Sn concentration on the electrical resistivity. The resistivity of thin sheets decreased significantly before the doping concentration up to 12.5 mol%, and then increased slightly at a larger addition. This work will assist further understanding the formation of Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanofibers and is expected to be extended to other transparent conductive oxides. (orig.)

  5. Study of Sb/SnO{sub 2} bi-layer films prepared by ion beam sputtering deposition technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Chun-Min [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China); Huang, Chun-Chieh [Department of Electrical Engineering, Cheng Shiu University, No. 840, Chengcing Road, Niaosong Township, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan, ROC (China); Kuo, Jui-Chao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China); Huang, Jow-Lay, E-mail: jlh888@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan, ROC (China); Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan, ROC (China)

    2014-11-03

    In the present work, bi-layer thin films of Sb/SnO{sub 2} were produced on unheated glass substrates using ion beam sputtering (IBS) technique without post annealing treatment. The thickness of Sb layers was varied from 2 to 10 nm and the Sb layers were deposited on SnO{sub 2} layers having thicknesses of 40 nm to 115 nm. The effect of thickness was studied on the morphological, electrical and optical properties. The Sb/SnO{sub 2} bi-layer resulted in lowering the electrical resistivity as well as reducing the optical transmittance. However, the optical and electrical properties of the bi-layer films were mainly influenced by the thickness of Sb layers due to progressive transfer in structures from aggregate to continuous films. The bi-layer films show the electrical resistivity of 1.4 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm and an optical transmittance of 26% for Sb film having 10 nm thickness. - Highlights: • Bi-layer Sb/SnO{sub 2} structures were synthesized by ion beam sputtering (IBS) technique. • The 6 nm-thick Sb film is a transition region in this study. • The conductivity of the bi-layer films is increased as Sb thickness increases. • The transmittance of the bi-layer films is decreased as Sb thickness increases.

  6. Characterization of Sn Doped ZnS thin films synthesized by CBD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mukherjee, Ayan; Mitra, Partha, E-mail: mitrapartha1@rediffmail.com [Department of Physics, The University of Burdwan, Burdwan (India)

    2017-03-15

    Zinc sulphide (ZnS) thin film were prepared using chemical bath deposition (CBD) process and tin (Sn) doping was successfully carried out in ZnS. Structural, morphological and microstructural characterization was carried out using XRD, TEM, FESEM and EDX. XRD and SAED pattern confirms presence of hexagonal phase. Rietveld analysis using MAUD software was used for particle size estimation. A constantly decreasing trend in particle size was observed with increasing tin incorporation in ZnS film which was due to enhanced microstrain resulting for tin incorporation. The particle size of prepared hexagonal wurtzite ZnS was around 14-18 nm with average size of ~16.5 nm. The bandgap of the film increases from ~ 3.69 eV for ZnS to ~ 3.90 eV for 5% Sn doped ZnS film which might be due to more ordered hexagonal structure as a result of tin incorporation. Band gap tenability property makes Sn doped ZnS suitable for application in different optoelectronics devices. PL study shows variation of intensity with excitation wavelength and a red shift is noticed for increasing excitation wavelength. (author)

  7. Residual stress and texture in Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide layers deposited by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azanza Ricardo, C.L., E-mail: Cristy.Azanza@ing.unitn.it [Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 via Mesiano 77, Trento (Italy); Pastorelli, M.; D' Incau, M. [Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 via Mesiano 77, Trento (Italy); Aswath, P. [College of Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, TX (United States); Scardi, P. [Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, 38123 via Mesiano 77, Trento (Italy)

    2016-04-30

    Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide thin films were deposited on standard soda-lime substrates by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Residual stress and texture were studied by X-ray diffraction, while X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy provided information on the Al environment in the best performing thin films. The influence of deposition parameters on structural and microstructural properties is discussed. A correlation between microstructure and residual stress state with electrical and optical properties is proposed. - Highlights: • Al doped ZnO thin films were obtained by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering. • Correlation of stresses and texture with electrical and optical properties is shown. • Homogeneous and stress-free thin-films are the best performing ones. • XANES confirmed the doping mechanism and excluded some spurious phases.

  8. Micro structural and magnetic characterization of Gd doped SnO2 nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adhikari, R.; Das, A.K.; Karmakar, D.; Chandrasekhar Rao, T.V.; Ghatak, J.

    2008-01-01

    Gd doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were prepared by a chemical co-precipitation method. The prepared samples were calcined at 600 deg C. The annealed samples were characterized using XRD, TEM and SQUID magnetometry. The structural characterizations showed formation of particles in the nanometer regime. The M(T) and M(H) studies indicated an antiferromagnetic (AFM) interaction in 3 and 6% (at. wt.) Gd doped SnO 2 nanoparticles. The M(H) plot of both samples indicate a super paramagnetic (SPM) behavior at 7K as against the perfect AFM nature at 300K. The samples exhibit an insulating DMS nature, but we do not observe any ferromagnetism as was observed for other Gd doped systems like GaN and ZnO. (author)

  9. Magnetic and optical properties of electrospun hollow nanofibers of SnO{sub 2} doped with Ce-ion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohanapriya, P.; Victor Jaya, N. [Department of Physics, Anna University, Chennai 600 025 (India); Pradeepkumar, R. [Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University, Chennai 600 025 (India); Natarajan, T. S., E-mail: tsn@physics.iitm.ac.in [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600 036 (India)

    2014-07-14

    Cerium doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning. High resolution scanning electron microscope (HRSEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed hollow nanofibers with diameters around ∼200 nm. The optimized substitution of Ce ion into SnO{sub 2} lattices happened above 6 mol. % doping as confirmed by Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Optical band gap was decreased by the doping confirming the direct energy transfer between f-electrons of rare earth ion and the SnO{sub 2} conduction or valence band. The compound also exhibited room temperature ferromagnetism with the saturation magnetization of 19 × 10{sup −5} emu/g at 6 mol. %. This study demonstrates the Ce doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanofibers for applications in magneto-optoelectronic devices.

  10. Fabrication of hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on Ni doped SnO2 nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavanya, N; Radhakrishnan, S; Sekar, C

    2012-01-01

    Ni doped SnO(2) nanoparticles (0-5 wt%) have been prepared by a simple microwave irradiation (2.45 GHz) method. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies confirmed the formation of rutile structure with space group (P(42)/mnm) and nanocrystalline nature of the products with spherical morphology. Direct electrochemistry of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/nano-SnO(2) composite has been studied. The immobilized enzyme retained its bioactivity, exhibited a surface confined, reversible one-proton and one-electron transfer reaction, and had good stability, activity and a fast heterogeneous electron transfer rate. A significant enzyme loading (3.374×10(-10) mol cm(-2)) has been obtained on nano-Ni doped SnO(2) as compared to the bare glassy carbon (GC) and nano-SnO(2) modified surfaces. This HRP/nano-Ni-SnO(2) film has been used for sensitive detection of H(2)O(2) by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), which exhibited a wider linearity range from 1.0×10(-7) to 3.0×10(-4)M (R=0.9897) with a detection limit of 43 nM. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K(M)(app)) of HRP on the nano-Ni-SnO(2) was estimated as 0.221 mM. This excellent performance of the fabricated biosensor is attributed to large surface-to-volume ratio and Ni doping into SnO(2) which facilitate the direct electron transfer between the redox enzyme and the surface of electrode. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Oxygen-doped zirconium nitride based transparent resistive random access memory devices fabricated by radio frequency sputtering method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hee-Dong; Yun, Min Ju; Kim, Kyeong Heon; Kim, Sungho

    2016-01-01

    In this work, we present a feasibility of bipolar resistive switching (RS) characteristics for Oxygen-doped zirconium nitride (O-doped ZrN_x) films, produced by sputtering method, which shows a high optical transmittance of approximately 78% in the visible region as well as near ultra-violet region. In addition, in a RS test, the device has a large current ratio of 5 × 10"3 in positive bias region and 5 × 10"5 in negative bias region. Then, to evaluate an ability of data storage for the proposed memory devices, we measured a retention time for 10"4 s at room temperature (RT) and 85 °C as well. As a result, the set and reset states were stably maintained with a current ratio of ∼10"2 at 85 °C to ∼10"3 at RT. This result means that the transparent memory by controlling the working pressure during sputtering process to deposit the ZrN_x films could be a milestone for future see-through electronic devices. - Highlights: • The resistive switching characteristics of the transparent O-doped ZrN_x-based RRAM cells have investigated. • Oxygen doping concentration within ZrN_x is optimized using working pressure of sputter. • Long retention time were observed.

  12. Investigation of blister formation in sputtered Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} absorbers for thin film solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bras, Patrice, E-mail: patrice.bras@angstrom.uu.se [Midsummer AB, Elektronikhöjden 6, SE-17543 Järfälla, Sweden and Solid State Electronics, Angström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 534, SE-75121 Uppsala (Sweden); Sterner, Jan [Midsummer AB, Elektronikhöjden 6, SE-17543 Järfälla (Sweden); Platzer-Björkman, Charlotte [Solid State Electronics, Angström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 534, SE-75121 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2015-11-15

    Blister formation in Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) thin films sputtered from a quaternary compound target is investigated. While the thin film structure, composition, and substrate material are not correlated to the blister formation, a strong link between sputtering gas entrapment, in this case argon, and blistering effect is found. It is shown that argon is trapped in the film during sputtering and migrates to locally form blisters during the high temperature annealing. Blister formation in CZTS absorbers is detrimental for thin film solar cell fabrication causing partial peeling of the absorber layer and potential shunt paths in the complete device. Reduced sputtering gas entrapment, and blister formation, is seen for higher sputtering pressure, higher substrate temperature, and change of sputtering gas to larger atoms. This is all in accordance with previous publications on blister formation caused by sputtering gas entrapment in other materials.

  13. Vertically aligned nitrogen doped (Sn,Nb)O_2 nanotubes – Robust photoanodes for hydrogen generation by photoelectrochemical water splitting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, Prasad Prakash; Hanumantha, Prashanth Jampani; Velikokhatnyi, Oleg I.; Datta, Moni Kanchan; Gattu, Bharat; Poston, James A.; Manivannan, Ayyakkannu; Kumta, Prashant N.

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Nb and N co-doping provides excellent optoelectronic properties for SnO_2 NTs. • The optoelectronic properties of doped SnO_2 are studied by first principles study. • (Sn_0_._9_5Nb_0_._0_5)O_2:N-600 NTs exhibits superior ABPE (4.1%) to date. • Excellent photoelectrochemical stability of (Sn_0_._9_5Nb_0_._0_5)O_2:N-600 NTs. - Abstract: Hydrogen generation from photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is on the forefront of clean energy generation landscape. The efficiency of PEC system is dependent on the engineering of semiconductors with tailored narrow band gap coupled with superior photoelectrochemical activity and desired stability vital for the commercialization of PEC water splitting cells. We report herein the study of vertically aligned Nb and N doped SnO_2 nanotubes (NTs), i.e., (Sn_0_._9_5Nb_0_._0_5)O_2:N NTs for PEC water splitting. (Sn_0_._9_5Nb_0_._0_5)O_2 NTs was selected for co-doping with nitrogen by systematic analysis of applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of various Nb doped SnO_2 (x = 0–0.1) compositions. Consequently, excellent photoelectrochemical stability and the highest efficiency of 4.1% is obtained for (Sn_0_._9_5Nb_0_._0_5)O_2:N-600 NTs never observed for other known TiO_2, ZnO, and Fe_2O_3 systems to date. Additionally, theoretical first principles study provides understanding of Nb and N co-doping on the electronic structure and band gap of SnO_2 semiconductor, further corroborating results of the experimental study.

  14. A comparative investigation on the effects of nitrogen-doping into graphene on enhancing the electrochemical performance of SnO2/graphene for sodium-ion batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Xiuqiang; Su, Dawei; Zhang, Jinqiang; Chen, Shuangqiang; Mondal, Anjon Kumar; Wang, Guoxiu

    2015-02-21

    SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene nanohybrids have been synthesized by an in situ hydrothermal method, during which the formation of SnO2 nanocrystals and nitrogen doping of graphene occur simultaneously. The as-prepared SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene nanohybrids exhibit enhanced electrochemical performance for sodium-ion batteries compared to SnO2/graphene nanocomposites. A systematic comparison between SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene nanohybrids and the SnO2/graphene counterpart as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries has been conducted. The comparison is in a reasonable framework, where SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene nanohybrids and the SnO2/graphene counterpart have the same SnO2 ratio, similar SnO2 crystallinity and particle size, close surface area and pore size. The results clearly manifest that the improved electron transfer efficiency of SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene due to nitrogen-doping plays a more important role than the increased electro-active sites within graphene network in enhancing the electro-activity of SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene nanohybrids compared to the SnO2/graphene counterpart. In contrast to the previous reports which often ascribe the enhanced electro-activity of nitrogen-doped graphene based composites to two nitrogen-doping effects (improving the electron transfer efficiency and increasing electro-active sites within graphene networks) in one single declaration, this work is expected to provide more specific information for understanding the effects of nitrogen-doping into graphene on improving the electrochemical performance of graphene based composites.

  15. Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Cr doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles stabilized with polyethylene glycol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Subramanyam, K.; Sreelekha, N. [Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517502 (India); Murali, G. [Department of BIN Fusion Technology and Department of Polymer-Nano Science and Technology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk (Korea, Republic of); Reddy, D. Amaranatha [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of); Vijayalakshmi, R.P., E-mail: vijayaraguru@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517502 (India)

    2014-12-01

    Pure and Cr (1, 3, 5 and 7 at%) doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized in aqueous solution by a simple chemical co-precipitation method using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a stabilizing agent. The effect of Cr doping on the structural, optical and magnetic properties of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles was investigated. EDAX spectra confirmed the presence of Sn, O and Cr in near stoichiometry. XRD patterns revealed that particles of all samples were crystallized in single phase rutile type tetragonal crystal structure (P4{sub 2}/mnm) of SnO{sub 2}. The peak positions with Cr concentration shifted to higher 2θ values. Lattice parameters were also decreased with increasing Cr concentration. TEM studies indicated that the particle size is in the range of 8–10 nm. The optical absorption studies indicated that the absorption edge shifted towards lower wavelengths with inclusion of Cr content. FTIR spectrum displays various bands that are due to fundamental overtones of PEG and O–Sn–O entities. Further it revealed that the undoped and as well as Cr doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles were capped by PEG. Magnetization measurements at room temperature revealed that all the doped samples were ferromagnetic in nature. Well defined strong room temperature ferromagnetic hysteresis loop was observed for 1% Cr doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles.

  16. Different valence Sn doping - A simple way to detect oxygen concentration variation of ZnO quantum dots synthesized under ultrasonic irradiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Weimin; Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Qitu; Wang, Lixi; Song, Bo; Wu, Fan; Wong, C P

    2017-09-01

    An ultrasonic method is employed to synthesize the Sn doped Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots with green light emission. Sn 2+ and Sn 4+ ions are used to create different optical defects inside Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots and the changing trend of oxygen concentration under different ultrasonic irradiation power are investigated. The photoluminescence spectra are employed to characterize the optical defects of Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots. The UV-vis spectra are used to study the band gap of Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots, which is influenced by their sizes. The results indicate that ultrasonic power would influence the size of Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots as well as the type and quantity of defects in ZnO quantum dots. Changing trends in size of Sn 2+ and Sn 4+ doped Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots are quite similar with each other, while the changing trends in optical defects types and concentration of Sn 2+ and Sn 4+ doped Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots are different. The difference of the optical defects concentration changing between Sn 2+ doped Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots (V O defects) and Sn 4+ doped Zn 0.95 Sn 0.05 O quantum dots (O Zn and O i defects) shows that the formation process of ZnO under ultrasonic irradiation wiped oxygen out. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Enhanced separation efficiency of photoinduced charges for antimony-doped tin oxide (Sb-SnO{sub 2})/TiO{sub 2} heterojunction semiconductors with varied Sb doping concentration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Zhen-Long [School of Physics and Electronics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004 (China); Ma, Wen-Hai [School of Physical Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004 (China); Mao, Yan-Li, E-mail: ylmao1@163.com [School of Physics and Electronics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004 (China); Institute for Computational Materials Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004 (China)

    2014-09-07

    In this paper, antimony-doped tin oxide (Sb-SnO{sub 2}) nanoparticles were synthesized with varied Sb doping concentration, and the Sb-SnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} heterojunction semiconductors were prepared with Sb-SnO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}. The separation efficiency of photoinduced charges was characterized with surface photovoltage (SPV) technique. Compared with Sb-SnO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}, Sb-SnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} presents an enhanced separation efficiency of photoinduced charges, and the SPV enhancements were estimated to be 1.40, 1.43, and 1.99 for Sb-SnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} composed of Sb-SnO{sub 2} with the Sb doping concentration of 5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively. To understand the enhancement, the band structure of Sb-SnO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2} in the heterojunction semiconductor was determined, and the conduction band offsets (CBO) between Sb-SnO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2} were estimated to be 0.56, 0.64, and 0.98 eV for Sb-SnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} composed of Sb-SnO{sub 2} with the Sb doping concentration of 5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively. These results indicate that the separation efficiency enhancement is resulting from the energy level matching, and the increase of enhancement is due to the rising of CBO.

  18. Fabrication of folic acid sensor based on the Cu doped SnO2 nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavanya, N; Radhakrishnan, S; Sudhan, N; Sekar, C; Leonardi, S G; Neri, G; Cannilla, C

    2014-01-01

    A novel folic acid biosensor has been fabricated using Cu doped SnO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by a simple microwave irradiation method. Powder XRD and TEM studies confirmed that both the pure and Cu doped SnO 2 (Cu: 0, 10, 20wt%) crystallized in tetragonal rutile-type structure with spherical morphology. The average crystallite size of pure SnO 2 was estimated to be around 16 nm. Upon doping, the crystallite sizes decreased to 9 nm and 5 nm for 10 and 20wt% Cu doped SnO 2 respectively. XPS studies confirmed the electronic state of Sn and Cu to be 4+ and 2+ respectively. Cu (20wt%) doped SnO 2 NPs are proved to be a good sensing element for the determination of folic acid (FA). Cu-SnO 2 NPs (20wt%) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited the lowest detection limit of 0.024 nM over a wide folic acid concentration range of 1.0 × 10 −10 to 6.7 × 10 −5 M at physiological pH of 7.0. The fabricated sensor is highly selective towards the determination of FA even in the presence of a 100 fold excess of common interferent ascorbic acid. The sensor proved to be useful for the estimation of FA content in pharmaceutical sample with satisfactory recovery. (paper)

  19. Zr-doped SnO2 thin films synthesized by spray pyrolysis technique for barrier layers in solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, N. Nanda Kumar; Akkera, Harish Sharma; Sekhar, M. Chandra; Park, Si-Hyun

    2017-12-01

    In the present work, we investigated the effect of Zr doping (0-6 at%) on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of tin oxide (SnO2) thin films deposited onto glass substrates using a spray pyrolysis technique. The room-temperature X-ray diffraction pattern shows that all deposited films exhibit polycrystalline tetragonal structure. The pure SnO2 film is grown along a preferred (200) direction, whereas Zr-doped SnO2 (Zr:SnO2) films started growing along the (220) orientation along with a high intensity peak of (200). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) images showed that the grains of the films are spherical in structure, and the grain size decreased with increasing of Zr concentration. The optical transmission spectra of deposited films as a function of wavelength confirm that the average optical transmittance is > 85% for Zr:SnO2 films. The value of the optical bandgap is significantly decreased from 3.94 to 3.68 eV with increasing Zr concentration. Furthermore, the electrical measurements found that the sheet resistance ( R sh) and resistivity ( ρ) values are decreased with increasing of Zr doping. The lowest values of R sh = 6.82 Ω and ρ = 0.4 × 10- 3 Ω cm are found in 6-at% Zr-doped SnO2 film. In addition, a good efficiency value of the figure of merit ( ɸ = 3.35 × 10- 3 Ω-1) is observed in 6-at% Zr-doped SnO2 film. These outstanding properties of Zr-doped SnO2 films make them useful for several optoelectronic device applications.

  20. Effect of Sn-doped on microstructural and optical properties of ZnO thin films deposited by sol-gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsay, C.-Y.; Cheng, H.-C.; Tung, Y.-T.; Tuan, W.-H.; Lin, C.-K.

    2008-01-01

    In this study, transparent thin films of Sn-doped ZnO (ZnO:Sn) were deposited onto alkali-free glass substrates by a sol-gel method; the effect of Sn doping on crystallinity, microstructural and optical properties was investigated. The atomic percentages of dopant in ZnO-based sols were Sn/Zn = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 at.%. The as-deposited films were pre-heated at 300 deg. C for 10 min and then annealed in air at 500 deg. C for 1 h. The results show that Sn-doped ZnO thin films demonstrate obviously improved surface roughness, enhanced transmittance in the 400-600 nm wavelength range and reduced average crystallite size. Among all of the annealed ZnO-based films in this study, films doped with 2 at.% Sn concentration exhibited the best properties, namely an average transmittance of 90%, an RMS roughness value of 1.92 nm and a resistivity of 9.3 x 10 2 Ω-cm

  1. Structural, Optical and Ethanol Sensing Properties of Dy-Doped SnO2 Nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaikh, F. I.; Chikhale, L. P.; Nadargi, D. Y.; Mulla, I. S.; Suryavanshi, S. S.

    2018-04-01

    We report a facile co-precipitation synthesis of dysprosium (Dy3+) doped tin oxide (SnO2) thick films and their use as gas sensors. The doping percentage (Dy3+) was varied from 1 mol.% to 4 mol.% with the step of 1 mol.%. As-produced material with varying doping levels were sintered in air; and by using a screen printing technique, their thick films were developed. Prior to sensing performance investigations, the films were examined for structural, morphological and compositional properties using x-ray diffraction, a field emission scanning electron microscope, a transmission electron microscope, selected area electron diffraction, energy dispersive analysis by x-rays, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The structural analyses revealed formation of single phase nanocrystalline material with tetragonal rutile structure of SnO2. The morphological analyses confirmed the nanocrystalline porous morphology of as-developed material. Elemental analysis defined the composition of material in accordance with the doping concentration. The produced sensor material exhibited good response towards different reducing gases (acetone, ethanol, LPG, and ammonia) at different operating temperatures. The present study confirms that the Dy3+ doping in SnO2 enhances the response towards ethanol with reduction in operating temperature. Particularly, 3 mol.% Dy3+ doped sensor exhibited the highest response (˜ 92%) at an operating temperature of 300°C with better selectivity, fast response (˜ 13 s) and recovery (˜ 22 s) towards ethanol.

  2. Enhanced thermoelectric property of oxygen deficient nickel doped SnO2 for high temperature application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulson, Anju; Sabeer, N. A. Muhammad; Pradyumnan, P. P.

    2018-04-01

    Motivated by the detailed investigation on the thermoelectric performance of oxide materials our work concentrated on the influence of acceptor dopants and defect density in the lattice plane for the enhancement of thermoelectric power. The series of Sn1‑x Nix O2 (0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) compositions were prepared by solid state reaction mechanism and found that 3 atomic percentage Ni doped SnO2 can be considered as a good candidate due to its promising electrical and transport properties. Defect lattices were introduced in the sample and the deviation from oxygen stochiometry was ensured using photoluminescence measurement. High power factor was obtained for the 3 atomic percentage nickel doped SnO2 due to the effective number of charge carrier concentration and the depletion of oxygen rich layers. Defect centered and acceptor doped SnO2 lattice opens a new door for energy harvesting at higher temperatures.

  3. Photo-Induced conductivity of heterojunction GaAs/Rare-Earth doped SnO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina de Freitas Bueno

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Rare-earth doped (Eu3+ or Ce3+ thin layers of tin dioxide (SnO2 are deposited by the sol-gel-dip-coating technique, along with gallium arsenide (GaAs films, deposited by the resistive evaporation technique. The as-built heterojunction has potential application in optoelectronic devices, because it may combine the emission from the rare-earth-doped transparent oxide, with a high mobility semiconductor. Trivalent rare-earth-doped SnO2 presents very efficient emission in a wide wavelength range, including red (in the case of Eu3+ or blue (Ce3+. The advantage of this structure is the possibility of separation of the rare-earth emission centers, from the electron scattering, leading to an indicated combination for electroluminescence. Electrical characterization of the heterojunction SnO2:Eu/GaAs shows a significant conductivity increase when compared to the conductivity of the individual films. Monochromatic light excitation shows up the role of the most external layer, which may act as a shield (top GaAs, or an ultraviolet light absorber sink (top RE-doped SnO2. The observed improvement on the electrical transport properties is probably related to the formation of short conduction channels in the semiconductors junction with two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG behavior, which are evaluated by excitation with distinct monochromatic light sources, where the samples are deposited by varying the order of layer deposition.

  4. Density-functional study on the robust ferromagnetism in rare-earth element Yb-doped SnO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Kai-Cheng, E-mail: kczhang@yeah.net [College of Mathematics and Physics, Bohai University, Jinzhou 121013 (China); Li, Yong-Feng [Key Laboratory of Integrated Exploitation of Bayan Obo Multi-Metal ResourcesInner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); School of Mathematics, Physics and Biological Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010 (China); Liu, Yong [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology and College of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004 (China); Chi, Feng [College of Engineering, Bohai University, Jinzhou 121013 (China)

    2014-06-01

    So far, little has been known about the ferromagnetism induced by p–f hybridization. We investigate the magnetic properties of Yb-doped SnO{sub 2} by first-principles calculations. We find that the doped system favors the ferromagnetic state and a room-temperature ferromagnetism can be expected in it. The origin of ferromagnetism can be attributed to the p–f hybridization between Yb impurity and its surrounding oxygen atoms. The formation energy of defect complex is calculated and the magnetic mediation of intrinsic vacancies is studied. Our results reveal that the formation energy of the defect complex with Sn vacancy is about 7.3 eV lower in energy than that with oxygen vacancy. This means Sn vacancy is much easier to form than oxygen vacancy in the presence of Yb substitution. The ferromagnetism of the doped system is greatly enhanced in the presence of Sn vacancies. - Highlights: • Room-temperature ferromagnetism can be expected in Yb-doped SnO{sub 2}. • The origin of ferromagnetism can be attributed to the p–f hybridization between Yb and O atoms. • Oxygen vacancies are much hard to form and contribute little to the ferromagnetism. • Sn vacancies are easy to form under oxygen-rich condition and stabilize the ferromagnetism effectively.

  5. Oxygen-doped zirconium nitride based transparent resistive random access memory devices fabricated by radio frequency sputtering method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hee-Dong, E-mail: khd0708@sejong.ac.kr [Department of Electrical Engineering, Sejong University, Neungdong-ro 209, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Min Ju [Department of Electrical Engineering, Sejong University, Neungdong-ro 209, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyeong Heon [School of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Anam-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul 163-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sungho, E-mail: sungho85.kim@sejong.ac.kr [Department of Electrical Engineering, Sejong University, Neungdong-ro 209, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-08-05

    In this work, we present a feasibility of bipolar resistive switching (RS) characteristics for Oxygen-doped zirconium nitride (O-doped ZrN{sub x}) films, produced by sputtering method, which shows a high optical transmittance of approximately 78% in the visible region as well as near ultra-violet region. In addition, in a RS test, the device has a large current ratio of 5 × 10{sup 3} in positive bias region and 5 × 10{sup 5} in negative bias region. Then, to evaluate an ability of data storage for the proposed memory devices, we measured a retention time for 10{sup 4} s at room temperature (RT) and 85 °C as well. As a result, the set and reset states were stably maintained with a current ratio of ∼10{sup 2} at 85 °C to ∼10{sup 3} at RT. This result means that the transparent memory by controlling the working pressure during sputtering process to deposit the ZrN{sub x} films could be a milestone for future see-through electronic devices. - Highlights: • The resistive switching characteristics of the transparent O-doped ZrN{sub x}-based RRAM cells have investigated. • Oxygen doping concentration within ZrN{sub x} is optimized using working pressure of sputter. • Long retention time were observed.

  6. Low resistivity of Ni–Al co-doped ZnO thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering at low sputtering power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, JongWoo [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, San 30 Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of); Hui, K.N. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Hui, K.S., E-mail: kshui@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Y.R., E-mail: yescho@pusan.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, San 30 Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of); Chun, Ho-Hwan [Global Core Research Center for Ships and Offshore Plants (GCRC-SOP), Pusan National University, San 30 Jangjeon-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-02-28

    Ni–Al co-doped ZnO (NiAl:ZnO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by DC magnetron sputtering in Ar using a single ceramic, spark-plasma-sintered target with 2 wt% Al and 5 wt% Ni. The effects of the sputtering power and gas pressure on the NiAl:ZnO films were studied. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Hall effect measurements and UV–vis transmission spectroscopy. As the sputtering power and gas pressure increased, the crystallinity, electrical properties and optical band gap of the films were improved. The NiAl:ZnO film deposited at 40 W at 6.0 mTorr had the strongest (0 0 2) XRD peak and the lowest resistivity of approximately 2.19 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm with an optical transmittance of 90%.

  7. Improvement of the electrochemical performance of nanosized α-MnO2 used as cathode material for Li-batteries by Sn-doping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashem, A.M.; Abdel-Latif, A.M.; Abuzeid, H.M.; Abbas, H.M.; Ehrenberg, H.; Farag, R.S.; Mauger, A.; Julien, C.M.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Doping MnO 2 with Sn improved properties of α-MnO 2 . → Thermal stabilization and electrochemical performances were improved. → Doping affected also the morphology feature of α-MnO 2 . - Abstract: Sn-doped MnO 2 was prepared by hydrothermal reaction between KMnO 4 as oxidant, fumaric acid C 4 H 4 O 4 as reductant and SnCl 2 as doping agent. XRD analysis indicates the cryptomelane α-MnO 2 crystal structure for pure and doped samples. Thermal stabilization was observed for both oxides as detected from thermogravimetric analysis. SEM and TEM images show changes in the morphology of the materials from spherical-like particles for pristine P-MnO 2 to rod-like structure for Sn-MnO 2 . Electrochemical properties of the electrode materials have been tested in lithium cells. Improvement in capacity retention and cycling ability is observed for doped oxide at the expense of initial capacity. After 35 cycles, the Li//Sn doped MnO 2 cell display lower capacity loss.

  8. Long afterglow property of Er{sup 3+} doped Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4} phosphor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Dongyun, E-mail: dyz@sit.edu.cn; Shi, Mingming; Sun, Yiwen; Guo, Yunyun; Chang, Chengkang

    2016-05-15

    A novel green emitting long afterglow phosphor, Er{sup 3+} -doped Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4} (Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+}), was prepared successfully via a traditional high temperature solid–state reaction method. Its properties have been characterized and analyzed by utilizing x-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscope (PLS), afterglow decay curve (ADC) and thermal luminescence spectroscope (TLS). Three main emission peaks of PLS locate at 524, 550 and 668 nm, corresponding to CIE chromaticity coordinates of x = 0.326, y = 0.6592. An optimal doping concentration of Er{sup 3+} of 2% was determined. The Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+} phosphors showed a typical triple-exponential afterglow decay behavior when the UV source was switched off. Thermal simulated luminescence study indicated that the persistent afterglow of Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4}:2 mol% Er{sup 3+} phosphors was generated by the suitable electron or hole traps which were resulted from the doping the Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4} host with rare-earth ions (Er{sup 3+}). - Highlights: • A novel green emitting long afterglow phosphor, Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+}, was prepared. • An optimal doping concentration of Er{sup 3+} of 2% was determined. • After the UV source was turned off, the Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+} showed a typical triple-exponential afterglow decay behavior. • CIE chromaticity coordinates results confirmed a green light emitting of the Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+}. • The persistent afterglow of the Ca{sub 2}SnO{sub 4}:Er{sup 3+} was attributed to suitable electron or hole traps.

  9. Hydrothermal Synthesis of Pt-, Fe-, and Zn-doped SnO2 Nanospheres and Carbon Monoxide Sensing Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weigen Chen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Pure and M-doped (M = Pt, Fe, and Zn SnO2 nanospheres were successfully synthesized via a simple and facile hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Chemical gas sensors were fabricated based on the as-synthesized nanostructures, and carbon monoxide sensing properties were systematically measured. Compared to pure, Fe-, and Zn-doped SnO2 nanospheres, the Pt-doped SnO2 nanospheres sensor exhibits higher sensitivity, lower operating temperature, more rapid response and recovery, better stability, and excellent selectivity. In addition, a theoretical study based on the first principles calculation was conducted. All results demonstrate the potential of Pt dopant for improving the gas sensing properties of SnO2-based sensors to carbon monoxide.

  10. Synthesis and Characterization of Highly Sensitive Hydrogen (H2 Sensing Device Based on Ag Doped SnO2 Nanospheres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaorui Lu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, pure and Ag-doped SnO2 nanospheres were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS, and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS, respectively. The gas sensing performance of the pure, 1 at.%, 3 at.%, and 5 at.% Ag-doped SnO2 sensing devices toward hydrogen (H2 were systematically evaluated. The results indicated that compared with pure SnO2 nanospheres, Ag-doped SnO2 nanospheres could not only decrease the optimum working temperature but also significantly improve H2 sensing such as higher gas response and faster response-recovery. Among all the samples, the 3 at.% Ag-doped SnO2 showed the highest response 39 to 100 μL/L H2 at 300 °C. Moreover, its gas sensing mechanism was discussed, and the results will provide reference and theoretical guidance for the development of high-performance SnO2-based H2 sensing devices.

  11. Defect properties of Sn- and Ge-doped ZnTe: suitability for intermediate-band solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, Mauricio A.

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the electronic structure and defect properties of Sn- and Ge- doped ZnTe by first-principles calculations within the DFT+GW formalism. We find that ({{{Sn}}}{{Zn}}) and ({{{Ge}}}{{Zn}}) introduce isolated energy levels deep in the band gap of ZnTe, derived from Sn-5s and Ge-4s states, respectively. Moreover, the incorporation of Sn and Ge on the Zn site is favored in p-type ZnTe, in both Zn-rich and Te-rich environments. The optical absorption spectra obtained by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation reveals that sub-bandgap absorptance is greatly enhanced due to the formation of the intermediate band. Our results suggest that Sn- and Ge-doped ZnTe would be a suitable material for the development of intermediate-band solar cells, which have the potential to achieve efficiencies beyond the single-junction limit.

  12. Electrochemical synthesis of nanostructured Se-doped SnS: Effect of Se-dopant on surface characterizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kafashan, Hosein; Azizieh, Mahdi; Balak, Zohre

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Nanostructured SnS_1_-_xSe_x thin films were prepared by using electrodeposition method. • The XRD patterns obviously showed that the synthesized films were polycrystalline. • The PL spectra of SnS_1_-_xSe_x thin films showed four emission peaks. • The UV–vis spectra shows a variation in the optical band gap energy of SnS_1_-_xSe_x thin films from 1.22 to 1.65 eV. • SnS_1_-_xSe_x thin films would be suitable for use as absorber layers. - Abstract: SnS_1_-_xSe_x nanostructures with different Se-dopant concentrations were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate through cathodic electrodeposition technique. The pH, temperature, applied potential (E), and deposition time remained were 2.1, 60 °C, −1 V, and 30 min, respectively. SnS_1_-_xSe_x nanostructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microcopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), room temperature photoluminescence (PL), and UV–vis spectroscopy. The XRD patterns revealed that the SnS_1_-_xSe_x nanostructures were polycrystalline with orthorhombic structure. FESEM showed various kinds of morphologies in SnS_1_-_xSe_x nanostructures due to Se-doping. PL and UV–vis spectroscopy were used to evaluate the optical properties of SnS_1_-_xSe_x thin films. The PL spectra of SnS_1_-_xSe_x nanostructures displayed four emission peaks, those are a blue, a green, an orange, and a red emission. UV–vis spectra showed that the optical band gap energy (E_g) of SnS_1_-_xSe_x nanostructures varied between 1.22–1.65 eV, due to Se-doping.

  13. Electronic and magnetic properties of SnS2 monolayer doped with 4d transition metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Wen-Zhi; Xiao, Gang; Rong, Qing-Yan; Chen, Qiao; Wang, Ling-Ling

    2017-09-01

    We investigate the electronic structures and magnetic properties of SnS2 monolayers substitutionally doped with 4-d transition-metal through systematic first principles calculations. The doped complexes exhibit interesting electronic and magnetic behaviors, depending on the interplay between crystal field splitting, Hund's rule, and 4d levels. The system doped with Y is nonmagnetic metal. Both the Zr- and Pd-doped systems remain nonmagnetic semiconductors. Doping results in half-metallic states for Nb-, Ru-, Rh-, Ag, and Cd doped cases, and magnetic semiconductors for systems with Mo and Tc dopants. In particular, the Nb- and Mo-doped systems display long-ranged ferromagnetic ordering with Curie temperature above room temperature, which are primarily attributable to the double-exchange mechanism, and the p-d/p-p hybridizations, respectively. Moreover, The Mo-doped system has excellent energetic stability and flexible mechanical stability, and also possesses remarkable dynamic and thermal (500 K) stability. Our studies demonstrate that Nb- and Mo-doped SnS2 monolayers are promising candidates for preparing 2D diluted magnetic semiconductors, and hence will be a helpful clue for experimentalists.

  14. Boron-doped, carbon-coated SnO2/graphene nanosheets for enhanced lithium storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuxin; Liu, Ping; Wu, Dongqing; Huang, Yanshan; Tang, Yanping; Su, Yuezeng; Zhang, Fan; Feng, Xinliang

    2015-03-27

    Heteroatom doping is an effective method to adjust the electrochemical behavior of carbonaceous materials. In this work, boron-doped, carbon-coated SnO2 /graphene hybrids (BCTGs) were fabricated by hydrothermal carbonization of sucrose in the presence of SnO2/graphene nanosheets and phenylboronic acid or boric acid as dopant source and subsequent thermal treatment. Owing to their unique 2D core-shell architecture and B-doped carbon shells, BCTGs have enhanced conductivity and extra active sites for lithium storage. With phenylboronic acid as B source, the resulting hybrid shows outstanding electrochemical performance as the anode in lithium-ion batteries with a highly stable capacity of 1165 mA h g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) after 360 cycles and an excellent rate capability of 600 mA h g(-1) at 3.2 A g(-1), and thus outperforms most of the previously reported SnO2-based anode materials. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Development of Nb$_3$Sn coatings by magnetron sputtering for SRF cavities

    CERN Document Server

    Rosaz, G.; Leaux, F.; Motschmann, F.; Mydlarz, Z.; Taborelli, M.; Vollenberg, W.

    2016-01-01

    Cost and energy savings are an integral requirement in the design of future particle accelerators. Very low losses SRF accelerating systems, together with high-efficiency cryogenics systems, have the potential of low running costs. The association to the capital cost reduction allowed by thin films coated copper cavities may represent the best overall cost-performance compromise. This strategy has been applied for instance in LEP, the LHC and HIE-ISOLDE with the niobium thin films technology. New materials must be considered to improve the quality factor of the cavities, such as Nb$_{3}$Sn, which could also ideally operate at higher temperature thus allowing further energy savings. The study considers the possibility to coat a copper resonator with an Nb$_{3}$Sn layer by means of magnetron sputtering using an alloyed target. We present the impact of the process parameters on the as-deposited layer stoichiometry. The latter is in good agreement with previous results reported in the literature and can be tuned ...

  16. Nonlinear I–V characteristics study of doped SnO2

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    type semiconductor with many interesting electronic pro- perties. Tin oxide ... The current–voltage curves were plotted on log–log scale from which the ... 4. Conclusion. A new varistor system based on doped SnO2 system is prepared and it ...

  17. Antibacterial effects of silver-doped hydroxyapatite thin films sputter deposited on titanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trujillo, Nathan A.; Oldinski, Rachael A.; Ma, Hongyan; Bryers, James D.; Williams, John D.; Popat, Ketul C.

    2012-01-01

    Since many orthopedic implants fail as a result of loosening, wear, and inflammation caused by repeated loading on the joints, coatings such as hydroxyapatite (HAp) on titanium with a unique topography have been shown to improve the interface between the implant and the natural tissue. Another serious problem with long-term or ideally permanent implants is infection. It is important to prevent initial bacterial colonization as existing colonies have the potential to become encased in an extracellular matrix polymer (biofilm) that is resistant to antibacterial agents. In this study, plasma-based ion implantation was used to examine the effects of pre-etching on plain titanium. Topographical changes to the titanium samples were examined and compared via scanning electron microscopy. Hydroxyapatite and silver-doped hydroxyapatite thin films were then sputter deposited on titanium substrates etched at − 700 eV. For silver-doped films, two concentrations of silver (∼ 0.5 wt.% and ∼ 1.5 wt.%) were used. Silver concentrations in the film were determined using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Hydroxyapatite film thicknesses were determined by measuring the surface profile using contact profilometry. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion studies were performed on plain titanium, titanium coated with hydroxyapatite, titanium coated with ∼ 0.5 wt.% silver-doped hydroxyapatite, and titanium coated with ∼ 1.5 wt.% silver-doped hydroxyapatite. Results indicate that less bacteria adhered to surfaces containing hydroxyapatite and silver; further, as the hydroxyapatite films delaminated, silver ions were released which killed bacteria in suspension. - Highlights: ► We have developed a combination of plasma-based ion implantation and ion beam sputter deposition technique. ► Silver-doped hydroxyapatite thin films on titanium were developed. ► The thin films showed the ability to control the concentration of silver that is doped within the

  18. Preparation of Aligned ZnO Nanorod Arrays on Sn-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Sonicated Sol-Gel Immersion Fabricated for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Saurdi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aligned ZnO Nanorod arrays are deposited on the Sn-doped ZnO thin film via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Sn-doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Results show that the Sn-doped ZnO thin films with small grain size (~20 nm, high average transmittance (96% in visible region, and good resistivity 7.7 × 102 Ω·cm are obtained for 2 at.% Sn doping concentration. The aligned ZnO nanorod arrays with large surface area were also obtained for 2 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film. They were grown on sol-gel derived Sn-doped ZnO thin film, which acts as a seed layer, via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The grown aligned ZnO nanorod arrays show high transmittance at visible region. The fabricated dye-sensitised solar cell based on the 2.0 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film with aligned ZnO nanorod arrays exhibits improved current density, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and conversion efficiency compared with the undoped ZnO and 1 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin films.

  19. High figure of merit and thermoelectric properties of Bi-doped Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6 solid solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Wei; Zhang, Qiang; Yin, Kang; Chi, Hang; Zhou, Xiaoyuan; Tang, Xinfeng; Uher, Ctirad

    2013-01-01

    The study of Mg 2 Si 1−x Sn x -based thermoelectric materials has received widespread attention due to a potentially high thermoelectric performance, abundant raw materials, relatively low cost of modules, and non-toxic character of compounds. In this research, Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y solid solutions with the nominal Bi content of 0≤y≤0.03 are prepared using a two-step solid state reaction followed by spark plasma sintering consolidation. Within this range of Bi concentrations, no evidence of second phase segregation was found. Bi is confirmed to occupy the Si/Sn sites in the crystal lattice and behaves as an efficient n-type dopant in Mg 2 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 . Similar to the effect of Sb, Bi doping greatly increases the electron density and the power factor, and reduces the lattice thermal conductivity of Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 solid solutions. Overall, the thermoelectric figure of merit of Bi-doped Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 solid solutions is improved by about 10% in comparison to values obtained with Sb-doped materials of comparable dopant content. This improvement comes chiefly from a marginally higher Seebeck coefficient of Bi-doped solid solutions. The highest ZT∼1.4 is achieved for the y=0.03 composition at 800 K. - Graphical abstract: (a)The relationship between electrical conductivity and power factor for Sb/Bi-doped Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y (Sb/Bi) y (0 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y (0≤y≤0.03) solid solutions. (c)Temperature dependent dimensionless figure of merit ZT of Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 1−y Bi y (0≤y≤0.03) solid solutions. - Highlights: • Bi doped Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 showed 15% enhancement in the power factor as compared to Sb doped samples. • Bi doping reduced κ ph of Mg 2.16 Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 due to stronger point defect scattering. • The highest ZT=1.4 at 800 K was achieved for Mg 2.16 (Si 0.4 Sn 0.6 ) 0.97 Bi 0.03

  20. Cation vacancies and electrical compensation in Sb-doped thin-film SnO2 and ZnO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korhonen, E; Prozheeva, V; Tuomisto, F; Bierwagen, O; Speck, J S; White, M E; Galazka, Z; Liu, H; Izyumskaya, N; Avrutin, V; Özgür, Ü; Morkoç, H

    2015-01-01

    We present positron annihilation results on Sb-doped SnO 2 and ZnO thin films. The vacancy types and the effect of vacancies on the electrical properties of these intrinsically n-type transparent semiconducting oxides are studied. We find that in both materials low and moderate Sb-doping leads to formation of vacancy clusters of variable sizes. However, at high doping levels cation vacancy defects dominate the positron annihilation signal. These defects, when at sufficient concentrations, can efficiently compensate the n-type doping produced by Sb. This is the case in ZnO, but in SnO 2 the concentrations appear too low to cause significant compensation. (invited article)

  1. Cation vacancies and electrical compensation in Sb-doped thin-film SnO2 and ZnO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korhonen, E.; Prozheeva, V.; Tuomisto, F.; Bierwagen, O.; Speck, J. S.; White, M. E.; Galazka, Z.; Liu, H.; Izyumskaya, N.; Avrutin, V.; Özgür, Ü.; Morkoç, H.

    2015-02-01

    We present positron annihilation results on Sb-doped SnO2 and ZnO thin films. The vacancy types and the effect of vacancies on the electrical properties of these intrinsically n-type transparent semiconducting oxides are studied. We find that in both materials low and moderate Sb-doping leads to formation of vacancy clusters of variable sizes. However, at high doping levels cation vacancy defects dominate the positron annihilation signal. These defects, when at sufficient concentrations, can efficiently compensate the n-type doping produced by Sb. This is the case in ZnO, but in SnO2 the concentrations appear too low to cause significant compensation.

  2. Facile synthesis of Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} dendrite-built hierarchical cube-like architectures and their application in lithium storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jia, Tiekun, E-mail: tiekunjia@126.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023 (China); Chen, Jian [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023 (China); Deng, Zhao [State Key Lab of Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070 (China); Fu, Fang; Zhao, Junwei; Wang, Xiaofeng [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023 (China); Long, Fei [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004 (China)

    2014-11-15

    Highlights: • Novel Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} dendrite-built hierarchical cube-like architectures were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach without surfactant. • The Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} dendrite-built hierarchical cube-like architectures were assembled by pronounced needle-like nanorod truncks with highly ordered needle-like nanorod branches. • The as-obtained Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} sample exhibited good electrochemical property. - Abstract: Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} dendrite-built hierarchical cube-like architectures were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal approach without the use of any surfactants or templates. The as-prepared samples were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The observation of FESEM and HRTEM showed that Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} hierarchical cube-like architectures were composed of numerous oriented dendrites. Each dendrite is assembled by a pronounced trunk with highly ordered branches distributing on the both sides. The as-prepared Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} dendrite-built hierarchical cube-like architectures were used as anode materials for Li-ion battery, and a stable capacity of 488.3 mA h g{sup −1} was achieved after 50 cycles. The results of electrochemical measurements indicated that the as-prepared Zn-doped SnO{sub 2} dendrite-built hierarchical cube-like architectures have potential application in Li-ion battery.

  3. Design and characterization of Ga-doped indium tin oxide films for pixel electrode in liquid crystal display

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, J.H.; Kang, S.H.; Oh, H.S.; Yu, T.H.; Sohn, I.S.

    2013-01-01

    Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films doped with various metal atoms were investigated in terms of phase transition behavior and electro-optical properties for the purpose of upgrading ITO and indium zinc oxide (IZO) films, commonly used for pixel electrodes in flat panel displays. We explored Ce, Mg, Zn, and Ga atoms as dopants to ITO by the co-sputtering technique, and Ga-doped ITO films (In:Sn:Ga = 87.4:6.7:5.9 at.%) showed the phase transition behavior at 210 °C within 20 min with high visible transmittance of 91% and low resistivity of 0.22 mΩ cm. The film also showed etching rate similar to amorphous ITO, and no etching residue on glass surfaces. These results were confirmed with the film formed from a single Ga-doped ITO target with slightly different compositions (In:Sn:Ga = 87:9:4 at.%). Compared to the ITO target, Ga-doped ITO target left 1/4 less nodules on the target surface after sputtering. These results suggest that Ga-doped ITO films could be an excellent alternative to ITO and IZO for pixel electrodes in thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). - Highlights: ► We report Ga-doped In–Sn–O films for a pixel electrode in liquid crystal display. ► Ga-doped In–Sn–O films show phase transition behavior at 210 °C. ► Ga-doped In–Sn–O films show high wet etchability and low resistivity

  4. Electrochemical capacitance of nanostructured ruthenium-doped tin oxide Sn1- x Ru x O2 by the microemulsion method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saraswathy, Ramanathan

    2017-12-01

    Synthesis of nanostructured Ru-doped SnO2 was successfully carried out using the reverse microemulsion method. The phase purity and the crystallite size were analyzed by XRD. The surface morphology and the microstructure of synthesized nanoparticles were analyzed by SEM and TEM. The vibration mode of nanoparticles was investigated using FTIR and Raman studies. The electrochemical behavior of the Ru-doped SnO2 electrode was evaluated in a 0.1 mol/L Na2SO4 solution using cyclic voltammetry. The 5% Ru-doped SnO2 electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance of 535.6 F/g at a scan rate 20 mV/s, possessing good conductivity as well as the electrocycling stability. The Ru-doped SnO2 composite shows excellent electrochemical properties, suggesting that this composite is a promising material for supercapacitors.

  5. Dopant activation in Sn-doped Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Siah, S. C., E-mail: sincheng@alum.mit.edu; Brandt, R. E.; Jaramillo, R.; Buonassisi, T., E-mail: buonassisi@mit.edu [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Lim, K. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Schelhas, L. T.; Toney, M. F. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Heinemann, M. D. [PVcomB, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Chua, D.; Gordon, R. G. [Department of Chemistry Materials Science and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States); Wright, J.; Segre, C. U. [Physics Department and CSRRI, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616 (United States); Perkins, J. D. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

    2015-12-21

    Doping activity in both beta-phase (β-) and amorphous (a-) Sn-doped gallium oxide (Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Sn) is investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). A single crystal of β-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Sn grown using edge-defined film-fed growth at 1725 °C is compared with amorphous Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Sn films deposited at low temperature (<300 °C). Our XAS analyses indicate that activated Sn dopant atoms in conductive single crystal β-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Sn are present as Sn{sup 4+}, preferentially substituting for Ga at the octahedral site, as predicted by theoretical calculations. In contrast, inactive Sn atoms in resistive a-Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Sn are present in either +2 or +4 charge states depending on growth conditions. These observations suggest the importance of growing Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Sn at high temperature to obtain a crystalline phase and controlling the oxidation state of Sn during growth to achieve dopant activation.

  6. Improvement of the electrochemical performance of nanosized {alpha}-MnO{sub 2} used as cathode material for Li-batteries by Sn-doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hashem, A.M., E-mail: ahmedh242@yahoo.com [National Research Centre, Inorganic Chemistry Department, Behoes St., Dokki, Cairo (Egypt); Abdel-Latif, A.M.; Abuzeid, H.M. [National Research Centre, Inorganic Chemistry Department, Behoes St., Dokki, Cairo (Egypt); Abbas, H.M. [National Research Centre, Physical Chemistry Department, Behoes St., Dokki, Cairo (Egypt); Ehrenberg, H. [Institute for Complex Materials, IFW Dresden, Helmholtzstr. 20, D-01069 Dresden (Germany); Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, D-64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Farag, R.S. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo (Egypt); Mauger, A. [Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Institut de Mineralogie et Physique de la Matiere Condensee (IMPMC), 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris (France); Julien, C.M. [Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Physicochimie des Electrolytes, Colloides et Sciences Analytiques (PECSA), 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris (France)

    2011-10-06

    Highlights: > Doping MnO{sub 2} with Sn improved properties of {alpha}-MnO{sub 2}. > Thermal stabilization and electrochemical performances were improved. > Doping affected also the morphology feature of {alpha}-MnO{sub 2}. - Abstract: Sn-doped MnO{sub 2} was prepared by hydrothermal reaction between KMnO{sub 4} as oxidant, fumaric acid C{sub 4}H{sub 4}O{sub 4} as reductant and SnCl{sub 2} as doping agent. XRD analysis indicates the cryptomelane {alpha}-MnO{sub 2} crystal structure for pure and doped samples. Thermal stabilization was observed for both oxides as detected from thermogravimetric analysis. SEM and TEM images show changes in the morphology of the materials from spherical-like particles for pristine P-MnO{sub 2} to rod-like structure for Sn-MnO{sub 2}. Electrochemical properties of the electrode materials have been tested in lithium cells. Improvement in capacity retention and cycling ability is observed for doped oxide at the expense of initial capacity. After 35 cycles, the Li//Sn doped MnO{sub 2} cell display lower capacity loss.

  7. A Rapid Method for Deposition of Sn-Doped GaN Thin Films on Glass and Polyethylene Terephthalate Substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pat, Suat; Özen, Soner; Korkmaz, Şadan

    2018-01-01

    We report the influence of Sn doping on microstructure, surface, and optical properties of GaN thin films deposited on glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Sn-doped GaN thin films have been deposited by thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) at low temperature. TVA is a rapid deposition technology for thin film growth. Surface and optical properties of the thin films were presented. Grain size, height distribution, roughness values were determined. Grain sizes were calculated as 20 nm and 13 nm for glass and PET substrates, respectively. Nano crystalline forms were shown by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Optical band gap values were determined by optical methods and photoluminescence measurement. The optical band gap values of Sn doped GaN on glass and PET were determined to be approximately ˜3.40 eV and ˜3.47 eV, respectively. As a result, TVA is a rapid and low temperature deposition technology for the Sn doped GaN deposited on glass and PET substrate.

  8. Electronic structure and p-type doping of ZnSnN2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tianshi; Janotti, Anderson; Ni, Chaoying

    ZnSnN2 is a promising solar-cell absorber material composed of earth abundant elements. Little is known about doping, defects, and how the valence and conduction bands in this material align with the bands in other semiconductors. Using density functional theory with the the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functional (HSE06), we investigate the electronic structure of ZnSnN2, its band alignment to other semiconductors, such as GaN and ZnO, the possibility of p-type doping, and the possible causes of the observed unintentional n-type conductivity. We find that the position of the valence-band maximum of ZnSnN2 is 0.55 eV higher than that of GaN, yet the conduction-band minimum is close to that in ZnO. As possible p-type dopants, we explore Li, Na, and K substituting on the Zn site. Finally, we discuss the cause of unintentional n-type conductivity by analyzing the position of the conduction-band minimum with respect to that of GaN and ZnO.

  9. Effect of Pd ion doping in the band gap of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles: structural and optical studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nandan, Brajesh; Venugopal, B. [Pondicherry University, Centre for Nanoscience and Technology (India); Amirthapandian, S.; Panigrahi, B. K. [Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Ion Beam and Computer Simulation Section, Materials Science Group (India); Thangadurai, P., E-mail: thangadurai.p@gmail.com [Pondicherry University, Centre for Nanoscience and Technology (India)

    2013-10-15

    Pd ion doping has influenced the band gap of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles. Undoped and Pd ion-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. A tetragonal phase of SnO{sub 2} with a grain size range of 7-13 nm was obtained (studied by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy). A decreasing trend in the particle size with increasing doping concentration was observed. The presence of Pd in doped SnO{sub 2} was confirmed by chemical analysis carried out by energy-dispersive spectroscopy in the transmission electron microscope. Diffuse reflectance spectra showed a blue shift in absorption with increasing palladium concentration. Band gap of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles was estimated from the diffuse reflectance spectra using Kubelka-Munk function and it was increasing with the increase of Pd ion concentration from 3.73 to 4.21 eV. The variation in band gap is attributed predominantly to the lattice strain and particle size. All the samples showed a broad photoluminescence emission centered at 375 nm when excited at 270 nm. A systematic study on the structural and optical properties of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles is presented.

  10. Effects of hydrogen gas on properties of tin-doped indium oxide films deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Do-Geun; Lee, Sunghun; Lee, Gun-Hwan; Kwon, Sik-Chol

    2007-01-01

    Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films were deposited at ∼ 70 deg. C of substrate temperature by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method using an In 2 O 3 -10% SnO 2 target. The effect of hydrogen gas ratio [H 2 / (H 2 + Ar)] on the electrical, optical and mechanical properties was investigated. With increasing the amount of hydrogen gas, the resistivity of the samples showed the lowest value of 3.5 x 10 -4 Ω.cm at the range of 0.8-1.7% of hydrogen gas ratio, while the resistivity increases over than 2.5% of hydrogen gas ratio. Hall effect measurements explained that carrier concentration and its mobility are strongly related with the resistivity of ITO films. The supplement of hydrogen gas also reduced the residual stress of ITO films up to the stress level of 110 MPa. The surface roughness and the crystallinity of the samples were investigated by using atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction, respectively

  11. SnO2 nanocrystals anchored on N-doped graphene for high-performance lithium storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Wei; Wang, Jinxian; Zhang, Feifei; Liu, Shumin; Wang, Jianwei; Yin, Dongming; Wang, Limin

    2015-02-28

    A SnO2-N-doped graphene (SnO2-NG) composite is synthesized by a rapid, facile, one-step microwave-assisted solvothermal method. The composite exhibits excellent lithium storage capability and high durability, and is a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries.

  12. Electrochemical synthesis of nanostructured Se-doped SnS: Effect of Se-dopant on surface characterizations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kafashan, Hosein, E-mail: hosein840521@gmail.com; Azizieh, Mahdi; Balak, Zohre

    2017-07-15

    Highlights: • Nanostructured SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} thin films were prepared by using electrodeposition method. • The XRD patterns obviously showed that the synthesized films were polycrystalline. • The PL spectra of SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} thin films showed four emission peaks. • The UV–vis spectra shows a variation in the optical band gap energy of SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} thin films from 1.22 to 1.65 eV. • SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} thin films would be suitable for use as absorber layers. - Abstract: SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} nanostructures with different Se-dopant concentrations were deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate through cathodic electrodeposition technique. The pH, temperature, applied potential (E), and deposition time remained were 2.1, 60 °C, −1 V, and 30 min, respectively. SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} nanostructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microcopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), room temperature photoluminescence (PL), and UV–vis spectroscopy. The XRD patterns revealed that the SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} nanostructures were polycrystalline with orthorhombic structure. FESEM showed various kinds of morphologies in SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} nanostructures due to Se-doping. PL and UV–vis spectroscopy were used to evaluate the optical properties of SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} thin films. The PL spectra of SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} nanostructures displayed four emission peaks, those are a blue, a green, an orange, and a red emission. UV–vis spectra showed that the optical band gap energy (E{sub g}) of SnS{sub 1-x}Se{sub x} nanostructures varied between 1.22–1.65 eV, due to Se-doping.

  13. Structural and dielectric studies of Ce doped BaSnO3 perovskite nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angel, S. Lilly; Deepa, K.; Rajamanickam, N.; Jayakumar, K.; Ramachandran, K.

    2018-04-01

    Undoped and Cerium (Ce) doped BaSnO3(BSO) nanostructures were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The cubic structure and perovskite phase were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallite size of BSO is 41nm and when Ce ion concentration is increased, the crystallite sizesdecreased. The nanocube, nanocuboids and nanorods are observed from SEM analysis. The purity of the undoped and doped samples are confirmed by EDS spectrum. For larger defects, wide band gap was obtained from UV-Vis and PL spectrum. The dielectric constants are increased at low frequencies when Ce impurities are introduced in the BSO matrix at Sn site.

  14. Synthesis and photocatalytic properties of Sn-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tu Yafang; Huang Shengyou [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Sang Jianping, E-mail: jpsang@acc-lab.whu.edu.c [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Department of Physics, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056 (China); Zou Xianwu [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China)

    2009-08-12

    TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays doped by Sn up to 12 at% have been prepared using template-based liquid phase deposition method. Their morphologies, structures and optical properties have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic properties of the samples were evaluated with the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. The result shows that doping an appropriate amount of Sn can effectively improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays, and the optimum dopant amount is found to be 5.6 at% in our experiments.

  15. In Situ Synthesis of Tungsten-Doped SnO2 and Graphene Nanocomposites for High-Performance Anode Materials of Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shuai; Shi, Liyi; Chen, Guorong; Ba, Chaoqun; Wang, Zhuyi; Zhu, Jiefang; Zhao, Yin; Zhang, Meihong; Yuan, Shuai

    2017-05-24

    The composite of tungsten-doped SnO 2 and reduced graphene oxide was synthesized through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. According to the structural characterization of the composite, tungsten ions were doped in the unit cells of tin dioxide rather than simply attaching to the surface. Tungsten-doped SnO 2 was in situ grown on the surface of graphene sheet to form a three-dimensional conductive network that enhanced the electron transportation and lithium-ion diffusion effectively. The issues of SnO 2 agglomeration and volume expansion could be also avoided because the tungsten-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were homogeneously distributed on a graphene sheet. As a result, the nanocomposite electrodes of tungsten-doped SnO 2 and reduced graphene oxide exhibited an excellent long-term cycling performance. The residual capacity was still as high as 1100 mA h g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 after 100 cycles. It still remained at 776 mA h g -1 after 2000 cycles at the current density of 1A g -1 .

  16. Magnetic phase change in Mn-doped ZnSnAs2 thin films depending on Mn concentration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchitomi, Naotaka; Hidaka, Shiro; Saito, Shin; Asubar, Joel T.; Toyota, Hideyuki

    2018-04-01

    The relationship between Mn concentration and Curie temperature (TC) is studied for Mn-doped ZnSnAs2 ferromagnetic semiconductors, epitaxially grown on InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. In the ferromagnetic phase, Mn distributions in a (Zn,Mn,Sn)As2 thin film with 7.2 cation percent (cat. %) Mn are investigated using three-dimensional atom probe tomography. The results indicate an inhomogeneous distribution which spreads to a relatively high Mn concentration of 9.0 at. % (at. %). In the paramagnetic phase, it is found that the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition takes place sharply with a TC of 334 K when the Mn doping concentration increases to about 4 cat. % Mn, which corresponds to a magnetic percolation threshold for ferromagnetism in (Zn,Mn,Sn)As2. An effective Curie temperature ⟨TC⟩ is considered to bridge the Curie temperatures obtained experimentally to those calculated theoretically in inhomogeneous magnetic semiconductors. The behavior of magnetism in Mn-doped ZnSnAs2 can be explained by three different phases within the present framework.

  17. Influence of Sn ion doping on the photocatalytic performance of V2O5 nanorods prepared by hydrothermal method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajeshwari, S.; Santhosh Kumar, J.; Rajendrakumar, R. T.; Ponpandian, N.; Thangadurai, P.

    2018-02-01

    Pure and different concentrations of Sn4+ doped V2O5 (Sn:V2O5) nanorods were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The Sn:V2O5 nanorods obtained were orthorhombic in structure. No secondary phase was observed up to 10% of Sn doping, but beyond that, there evolved a secondary phase of SnO2. Microstructural analysis revealed the morphology of V2O5 as nanorods and platelets like structure. Presence of V, O and Sn elements in the samples was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy. The V2O5 nanorods have shown a strong absorption in the visible region and the band gap energy was obtained to be varying from 2.21 to 2.26 eV as a function of Sn ion doping. Photocatalytic studies on methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation showed that the 3% Sn:V2O5 had effectively degraded MB up to a maximum degradation of 96% and further increase in Sn content had decreased the photodegradation due to higher recombination rate of photogenerated electrons. The mechanism of photodegradation was completely understood and the OH· radicals have played a dominant role in the photodegradation of the organic dyes.

  18. Ultrafine Sn nanoparticles embedded in shell of N-doped hollow carbon spheres as high rate anode for lithium-ion batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dou, Peng; Cao, Zhenzhen; Wang, Chao; Zheng, Jiao [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Xu, Xinhua, E-mail: xhxutju@gmail.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin 300072 (China)

    2017-05-15

    Highlights: • Dynamic covalent bond in polymeric nanoparticles is used to induce hollow Sn{sup 4+}-MOPs. • Ultrafine Sn nanoparticles uniformly embedded in shell of N-doped hollow carbon spheres is successfully synthesized by pyrolysis of the Sn{sup 4+}-MOPs precursor. • The composite exhibits superior cycle stability and rate capacity. - Abstract: A novel reversible interaction in polymeric nanoparticles is used to induce hollow Sn{sup 4+}-MOPs. Then ultrafine Sn nanoparticles uniformly embedded in shell of N-doped hollow carbon spheres is successfully synthesized by pyrolysis of the Sn{sup 4+}-MOPs precursor. In this architecture, the N-doped carbon shells can effectively avoid the direct exposure of embedded Sn nanoparticles to the electrolyte and efficiently accommodate the volume change of Sn nanoparticles. Furthermore, the hollow structure of carbon sphere can prevent Sn nanoparticles aggregation over repeated cycling and shorten the diffusion path of both electrons and ions. As a consequence, this N-doped hollow Sn/C anode delivers a reversible capacity of 606 mA h g{sup −1} at a current density of 0.2 A g{sup −1} after 250 cycles and a reversible capacity of 221 mA h g{sup −1} even at a much higher current density of 10 A g{sup −1}, which are much better than those of pure Sn nanoparticles. The desirable cyclic stability and rate capability were attributed to the unique architecture that provided fast pathway for electron transport and simultaneously solved the major issues of Sn-based anodes, such as pulverization, aggregation and loss of electrical contact.

  19. Stability and magnetic properties of SnSe monolayer doped by transition metal atom (Mn, Fe, and Co): a first-principles study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Chao; Li, Qinwen; Zhang, Chunxiao; He, Chaoyu; Li, Jin; Ouyang, Tao; Li, Hongxing; Zhong, Jianxin

    2018-06-01

    Two dimensional (2D) tin selenium (SnSe) is an intriguing material with desired thermal and electric properties in nanoelectronics. In this paper, we carry on a density functional theory study on the stability and dilute magnetism of the 3d TM (Mn, Fe, and Co) doped 2D SnSe. Both the adsorption and substitution are in consideration here. We find that all the defects are electrically active and the cation substitutional doping (TM@Sn) is energetically favorable. The TM@Sn prefers to act as accepters and exhibits high-spin state with nonzero magnetic moment. The magnetic moment is mainly contributed by the spin-polarized charge density of the TM impurities. The magnetism is determined by the arrangement of the TM-3d orbitals, which is the result of the crystal field splitting and spin exchange splitting under specific symmetry. The magnetic and electronic properties of the TM@Sn are effectively modulated by external electric field (Eext) and charge doping. The Eext shifts the TM impurities relative to the SnSe host and then modifies the crystal field splitting. In particular, the magnetic moment is sensitive to the Eext in the Fe@Sn because the Eext induces distinct structure transformation. Based on the formation energy, doping electrons is a viable way to modulate the magnetic moment of TM@Sn. Doping electrons shift the 3d states towards low energy level, which induces the occupation of more 3d states and then the reduction of magnetism. These results render SnSe monolayer a promising 2D material for applications in future spintronics.

  20. Band gap narrowing and fluorescence properties of nickel doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, Arham S; Shafeeq, M Muhamed [Centre of Excellence in Materials Science (Nanomaterials), Department of Applied Physics, Z. H. College of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002 (India); Singla, M L [Central Scientific Instruments Organization (CSIO), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Materials Research and Bio-Nanotechnology Division, Sector - 30/C, Chandigarh-160030 (India); Tabassum, Sartaj [Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002 (India); Naqvi, Alim H [Centre of Excellence in Materials Science (Nanomaterials), Department of Applied Physics, Z. H. College of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002 (India); Azam, Ameer [Centre of Excellence in Materials Science (Nanomaterials), Department of Applied Physics, Z. H. College of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002 (India)

    2011-01-15

    Nickel-doped tin oxide nanoparticles (sub-5 nm size) with intense fluorescence emission behavior have been synthesized by sol-gel route. The structural and compositional analysis has been carried out by using XRD, TEM, FESEM and EDAX. The optical absorbance spectra indicate a band gap narrowing effect and it was found to increase with the increase in nickel concentration. The band gap narrowing at low dopant concentration (<5%) can be assigned to SnO{sub 2}-SnO{sub 2-x} alloying effect and for higher doping it may be due to the formation of defect sub-bands below the conduction band.

  1. Growth of amorphous Zn–Sn–O thin films by RF sputtering for buffer layers of CuInSe2 and SnS solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Shao-Wei; Ishikawa, Kaoru; Sugiyama, Mutsumi

    2015-01-01

    We propose using amorphous Zn–Sn–O (α-ZTO) deposited by RF sputtering as an alternative n-type buffer layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and SnS solar cells. The order of the carrier density, n, is increased from the order of 10 15 to 10 17 cm −1 as the Sn/(Sn + Zn) atomic ratio increases from 0.29 to 0.40. On the other hand, the order of n decreased from 10 17 to 10 11 cm −1 as the oxygen partial pressure increased from 0 to 10%. Further, for the α-ZTO film with the Sn/(Sn + Zn) atomic ratio at 0.38 and the oxygen partial pressure at 0%, valence band discontinuities of α-ZTO/CuInSe 2 and α-ZTO/SnS were determined using photoelectron yield spectroscopy measurements. The band discontinuities of each of these interfaces form a spike structure in the conduction band offset, which enables a high-performance solar cell to be obtained. - Highlights: • We propose using amorphous Zn–Sn–O as a n-type layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 and SnS solar cells. • The carrier density was controlled by total and/or oxygen partial pressure during sputtering. • Valence band discontinuities of Zn–Sn–O/CuInSe 2 and Zn–Sn–O/SnS were determined. • The conduction band discontinuities of each of these interfaces form a spike structure

  2. Comparison of Sn-doped and nonstoichiometric vertical-Bridgman-grown crystals of the topological insulator Bi2Te2Se

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kushwaha, S. K.; Gibson, Q. D.; Cava, R. J.; Xiong, J.; Ong, N. P.; Pletikosic, I.; Weber, A. P.; Fedorov, A. V.; Valla, T.

    2014-01-01

    A comparative study of the properties of topological insulator Bi 2 Te 2 Se (BTS) crystals grown by the vertical Bridgeman method is described. Two defect mechanisms that create acceptor impurities to compensate for the native n-type carriers are compared: Bi excess, and light Sn doping. Both methods yield low carrier concentrations and an n-p crossover over the length of the grown crystal boules, but lower carrier concentrations and higher resistivities are obtained for the Sn-doped crystals, which reach carrier concentrations as low as 8 × 10 14  cm −3 . Further, the temperature dependent resistivities for the Sn-doped crystals display strongly activated behavior at high temperatures, with a characteristic energy of half the bulk band gap. The (001) cleaved Sn-doped BTS crystals display high quality Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) quantum oscillations due to the topological surface state electrons. Angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) characterization shows that the Fermi energy (E F ) for the Sn-doped crystals falls cleanly in the surface states with no interference from the bulk bands, which the Dirac point for the surface states lies approximately 60 meV below the top of the bulk valence band maximum, and allows for a determination of the bulk and surface state carrier concentrations as a function of Energy near E F . Electronic structure calculations that compare Bi excess and Sn dopants in BTS demonstrate that Sn acts as a special impurity, with a localized impurity band that acts as a charge buffer occurring inside the bulk band gap. We propose that the special resonant level character of Sn in BTS gives rise to the exceptionally low carrier concentrations and activated resistivities observed

  3. Characterization of ZnO:SnO{sub 2} (50:50) thin film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cynthia, S. R.; Sanjeeviraja, C.; Ponmudi, S. [Department of Physics, Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology, Karaikudi-630004 (India); Sivakumar, R., E-mail: krsivakumar1979@yahoo.com [Directorate of Distance Education, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630004 (India)

    2016-05-06

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) thin films have attracted significant interest recently for use in optoelectronic application such as solar cells, flat panel displays, photonic devices, laser diodes and gas sensors because of their desirable electrical and optical properties and wide band gap. In the present study, thin films of ZnO:SnO{sub 2} (50:50) were deposited on pre-cleaned microscopic glass substrate by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The substrate temperature and RF power induced changes in structural, surface morphological, compositional and optical properties of the films have been studied.

  4. Structural, optical and gas sensing properties of screen-printed nanostructured Sr-doped SnO2 thick film sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaikh, F.I.; Chikhale, L.P.; Patil, J.Y.; Rajgure, A.V.; Suryavanshi, S.S.; Mulla, I.S.

    2013-01-01

    The nanocrystalline materials of strontium doped tin oxide powders were synthesized by conventional co-precipitation method. Synthesized nanophase SnO 2 powders were used to fabricate thick films of pure and Sr-doped SnO 2 using screen-printing technology and investigated for their gas sensing properties towards LPG, ethanol, ammonia and acetone vapor. The crystal structure and phase of the sintered powders were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the doped and undoped SnO 2 compositions revealed single phase and solid solution formation. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) results indicated that well crystallized Sr-doped SnO 2 particles of size about 10 nm were obtained at sintering temperature 700℃. The optical properties viz. UV-Vis, FTIR and Raman were used to characterize various physico-chemical properties of samples. The reduction of grain size in metal oxide is a key factor to enhance the gas sensing properties. The doping of Sr in SnO 2 has reduced the grain size and improved the gas response. The results of gas sensing measurements showed that the thick films deposited on alumina substrates using screen-printing technique exhibited high gas response, quick response time and fast recovery time to acetone gas at a working temperature of 250℃. Further, the selectivity of sensor towards acetone with respect to other reducing gases (LPG, ethanol, ammonia) was studied. (author)

  5. Indium–tin-oxide coatings for applications in photovoltaics and displays deposited using rotary ceramic targets: Recent insights regarding process stability and doping level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lippens, Paul; Büchel, Michal; Chiu, David; Szepesi, Chris

    2013-01-01

    Several aspects related to high power sputtering with industrial scale sintered ceramic rotary indium–tin-oxide (ITO) targets are presented in the first part of this paper. In particular, the process stability and target integrity upon sputtering with ≥ 20 kW/m power load and the influence of the gap size between cylindrical segments are discussed. Results show that, in order to avoid nodule formation and deposition rate fluctuations, direct current (DC) power load needs to be limited well below 20 kW/m over long sputter runs. Additional work demonstrates that at a gap size at or below 0.15 mm, strongly adhering deposits form readily between cylindrical segments which are not observed with standard 0.35 mm gaps. The influence of Sn doping level on electro-optical properties of thin films targeting an application such as hetero-junction c-Si solar cells is also investigated. Again, rotary targets operated at high power (10 kW/m) are used, including standard grade ITO containing 10 wt.% SnO 2 and another composition with only 3 wt.% SnO 2 . The influence of H 2 and different concentrations of O 2 in the sputter gas is analysed for both target materials. Results indicate that although coatings derived from the lower-doped ITO exhibit considerably less absorption in the NIR due to lower carrier concentrations, their resistivity is nearly 30% higher than that from the standard ITO coating

  6. Synthesis and electrochemical properties of tin-doped MoS{sub 2} (Sn/MoS{sub 2}) composites for lithium ion battery applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Lin; Min, Feixia; Luo, Zhaohui; Wang, Shiquan, E-mail: wsqhao@126.com [Hubei University, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for Synthesis and Applications of Organic Functional Molecules (China); Teng, Fei [Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC), School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (China); Li, Guohua [Zhejiang University of Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (China); Feng, Chuanqi [Hubei University, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for Synthesis and Applications of Organic Functional Molecules (China)

    2016-12-15

    SnO{sub 2}-MoO{sub 3} composites were synthesized by using (NH{sub 4}){sub 6}Mo{sub 7}O{sub 24}·4H{sub 2}O and SnCl{sub 2}·2H{sub 2}O as raw materials through a simple solvothermal method followed by pyrolysis. Tin-doped MoS{sub 2} (Sn/MoS{sub 2}) flowers have been synthesized by a solvothermal method followed with annealing in Ar(H{sub 2}) atmosphere, with SnO{sub 2}-MoO{sub 3}, thioacetamide (TAA), and urea as starting materials. The doping and the content of Sn-doping play crucial roles in the morphology and electrochemical performance of the MoS{sub 2}. As anode materials for lithium ion battery (LIB), all Sn/MoS{sub 2} composites exhibit both higher reversible capacity and better cycling performance at current density of 200 mA g{sup −1}, compared with MoS{sub 2} without Sn doping. The achieved discharge capacity for Sn/MoS{sub 2} composites is above 1000 mAh g{sup −1} after 100 cycles with nearly 100% coulombic efficiency. The doping of metal Sn in MoS{sub 2} can improve the conductivity of MoS{sub 2} and significantly enhance its electrochemical properties. The good electrochemical performance suggests that the Sn/MoS{sub 2} composite could be a promising candidate as a novel anode material for LIB application. Our present work provides a new approach to the fabrication of anode materials for LIB applications.

  7. Aluminum-Doped SnO2 Hollow Microspheres as Photoanode Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Binghua Xu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Al doped SnO2 microspheres were prepared through hydrothermal method. As-prepared SnO2 microspheres were applied as photoanode materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs. The properties of the assembled DSCs were significantly improved, especially the open-circuit voltage. The reason for the enhancement was explored through the investigation of dark current curves and electrochemistry impedance spectra. These results showed that the Al doping significantly increased the reaction resistance of recombination reactions and restrained the dark current. The efficient lifetime of photoexcited electrons was also obviously lengthened.

  8. The effect of electron and hole doping on the thermoelectric properties of shandite-type Co3Sn2S2

    OpenAIRE

    Mangelis, Panagiotis; Vaqueiro, Paz; Jumas, Jean-Claude; da Silva, Ivan; Smith, Ronald I; Powell, Anthony V

    2017-01-01

    Electron and hole doping in Co3Sn2S2, through chemical substitution of cobalt by the neighbouring elements, nickel and iron, affects both the structure and thermoelectric properties. Electron doping to form Co3-xNixSn2S2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 3) results in an expansion of the kagome layer and materials become increasingly metallic as cobalt is substituted. Conversely, hole doping in Co3-xFexSn2S2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) leads to a transition from metallic to n-type semiconducting behaviour at x = 0.5. Iron substitu...

  9. Influence of sputtering gas pressure on properties of transparent conducting Si-doped zinc oxide films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qin, Hua; Liu, Hunfa; Lei, Chengxin [Shandong Univ. of Technology, Zibo (China). Dept. of Sciences

    2013-10-15

    Si-doped zinc oxide (SZO, Si 3%) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by means of direct current magnetron sputtering under different pressures. The influence of sputtering pressure on structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of SZO thin films was investigated. The results reveal that the sputtering pressures have a significant impact on the growth rate, crystal quality and electrical properties of the films, but have little impact on the optical properties of the films. SZO thin film samples grown on glasses are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and have a preferred orientation along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. When the sputtering pressure increases from 2 to 8 Pa, the film surface becomes compact and smooth, the degree of crystallization of the films increases, and the resistivity of films decreases. However, when the sputtering pressure continues to increase from 8 to 10 Pa, the degree of crystallization of the films decreases, the grain size decreases, and the resistivity of the films increases. SZO(3%) thin film deposited at a sputtering pressure of 8 Pa shows the largest carrier concentration, the largest mobility, the lowest resistivity of 3.0 x 10{sup -4} {Omega} cm and a high overall transmission of 93.3% in the visible range. (orig.)

  10. Synthesis and characterization of Sn doped TiO{sub 2} photocatalysts: Effect of Sn concentration on the textural properties and on the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rangel-Vázquez, I.; Del Angel, G.; Bertin, V. [Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael, Atlixco No 1865, México 09340 D.F. (Mexico); González, F. [Departamento de Ingeniería de Procesos e Hidráulica, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael, Atlixco No 1865, México 09340 D.F. (Mexico); Vázquez-Zavala, A.; Arrieta, A. [Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael, Atlixco No 1865, México 09340 D.F. (Mexico); Padilla, J.M. [Universidad Tecnológica del Centro de Veracruz, Área de Tecnología, Av. Universidad Carretera Federal Cuitláhuac-La Tinaja No. 350, Cuitláhuac, Veracruz 94910 (Mexico); Barrera, A. [Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de la Ciénega, Av. Universidad, Número 1115, Col. Linda Vista, Apdo. Postal 106, Ocotlán Jal. (Mexico); Ramos-Ramirez, E. [Departamento de Química, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato de la Universidad de Guanajuato Noria Alta S/N, Col. Noria Alta, Guanajuato, Gto. C.P. 36050 (Mexico)

    2015-09-15

    Abstract: TiO{sub 2} and Sn-doped TiO{sub 2} materials were prepared by sol–gel method using titanium and tin alkoxides at different Sn concentration (0.1 mol%, 0.5 mol%, 1 mol%, 3 mol% and 5 mol%). Samples were characterized by thermo gravimetric analyzer with differential scanning calorimeter (TGA–DSC), X-ray Rietveld refinement, N{sub 2} adsorption (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis spectroscopies technology and Raman spectroscopy. Only anatase phase was observed in pure TiO{sub 2}, whereas anatase and brookite were obtained in Sn-doped TiO{sub 2} samples. Sn dopant acts as a promoter in phase transformation of TiO{sub 2}. The Rietveld refinements method was used to determine the relative weight of anatase and brookite, and crystallite size as a function of Sn concentration after calcination of samples at 673 K. It was also demonstrated the incorporation of Sn{sup 4+} into the anatase TiO{sub 2} structure. Sn{sup 4+} inhibits the growth of TiO{sub 2} crystallite size, which leads to an increase of the specific surface area of TiO{sub 2}. From XRD analysis, the solid solution limit of Sn{sup 4+} into TiO{sub 2} is 5 mol% Sn. The photocatalytic activity on Sn{sup 4+} doped TiO{sub 2} was determined for the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid reaction. The maximum in activity was attributed to the coexistence of anatase and brookite phases in the appropriate ratio and crystallite size.

  11. Development of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Sputtered N-Doped TiO2 Thin Films: From Modeling the Growth Mechanism of the Films to Fabrication of the Solar Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Duarte, D. A.; Massi, M.; da Silva Sobrinho, A. S.

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, nitrogen-doped TiO2 thin films were deposited by DC reactive sputtering at different doping levels for the development of dye-sensitized solar cells. The mechanism of film growth during the sputtering process and the effect of the nitrogen doping on the structural, optical, morphological, chemical, and electronic properties of the TiO2 were investigated by numerical modeling and experimental methods. The influence of the nitrogen doping on the working principle of the prototype...

  12. Combined effect of oxygen deficient point defects and Ni doping in radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposited ZnO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saha, B., E-mail: biswajit.physics@gmail.com [Thin Film and Nano Science Laboratory, Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, 700 032 Kolkata (India); Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology Agartala, Jirania 799046, Tripura (India); Das, N.S.; Chattopadhyay, K.K. [Thin Film and Nano Science Laboratory, Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, 700 032 Kolkata (India)

    2014-07-01

    Ni doped ZnO thin films with oxygen deficiency have been synthesized on glass substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique using argon plasma. The combined effect of point defects generated due to oxygen vacancies and Ni doping on the optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films has been studied in this work. Ni doping concentrations were varied and the structural, optical and electrical properties of the films were studied as a function of doping concentrations. The films were characterized with X-ray diffractometer, UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and electrical conductivity measurements. Oxygen deficient point defects (Schottky defects) made the ZnO thin film highly conducting while incorporation of Ni dopant made it more functional regarding their electrical and optical properties. The films were found to have tunable electrical conductivity with Ni doping concentrations. - Highlights: • ZnO thin films prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique • Synthesis process was stimulated to introduce Schottky-type point defects. • Point defects and external doping of Ni made ZnO thin films more functional. • Point defect induced high electrical conductivity in ZnO thin film. • Significant shift in optical bandgap observed in ZnO with Ni doping concentrations.

  13. Scintillation property of rare earth-free SnO-doped oxide glass

    OpenAIRE

    Masai, Hirokazu; Yanagida, Takayuki; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Koshimizu, Masanori; Yoko, Toshinobu

    2012-01-01

    The authors have demonstrated scintillation of rare earth (RE)-free Sn-doped oxide glass by excitation of ionizing radiation. It is notable that light emission is attained for RE-free transparent glass due to s[2]-sp transition of Sn[2+] centre and the emission correlates with the excitation band at 20 eV. We have also demonstrated that excitation band of emission centre can be tuned by the chemical composition of the host glass. The present result is valuable not only for design of RE-free i...

  14. Effect of Sn doping on structural, mechanical, optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanoarrays prepared by sol-gel and hydrothermal process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Manish Baboo; Sharma, Akash; Malaidurai, M.; Thangavel, R.

    2018-05-01

    Undoped and Sn doped Zinc oxide nanorods were prepared by two step process: initially growth of seed layers by sol-gel spin coating technique and then zinc oxide nanorods by hydrothermal process using the precursors zinc nitrate hexahydrate, hexamine and tin chloride. The effects on the electrical, optical, mechanical and structural properties for various Sn concentrations were studied. The crystalline phase determination from X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms that Sn doped ZnO nanorods have hexagonal wurtzite structure. The variations of stress and strain with different doping concentration of Sn in ZnO nanorods were studied. The doping effect on electrical properties and optical bandgap is estimated by current voltage characteristics and absorbance spectra respectively. The surface morphology was studied with field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), which shows that the formation of hexagonal nanorods arrays with increasing Sn concentration. The calculated value of Young's modulus of elasticity (Y) for all the samples remains same. These results can be used in optoelectronic devices.

  15. Ferroelectricity of Sn-doped SrTiO3 perovskites with tin at both A and B sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Shoichiro; Honda, Atsushi; Iwaji, Naoki; Higai, Shin'ichi; Ando, Akira; Takagi, Hiroshi; Kasatani, Hirofumi; Deguchi, Kiyoshi

    2012-08-01

    We successfully obtained Sn-doped SrTiO3 (SSTO) perovskites, and clarified their ferroelectricity and structural properties by using first-principles theoretical calculations. The ferroelectricity of SSTO was confirmed by the appearance of a dielectric permittivity maximum and a clear hysteresis loop of the relationship between the external electric field and the electric flux density below 180 K. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra revealed the structural phase transition of SSTO at approximately 200 K. We directly observed by spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy that Sn ions are doped into both Sr and Ti sites (SnA and SnB), and that SnA is located at an off-centered position. We also performed theoretical analyses of SSTO and related perovskites, and found that SnA is preferentially located in an off-centered position and that SnA and the O6 octahedron, which includes SnB in its center, oscillate along the antiphase direction in the soft mode. Thus, we propose that the ferroelectricity of SSTO originates from the antiphase off-centering, which induces ferroelectric nanoregions in paraelectric SrTiO3.

  16. Morphology-controllable of Sn doped ZnO nanorods prepared by spray pyrolysis for transparent electrode application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hameed, M. Shahul; Princice, J. Joseph; Babu, N. Ramesh; Zahirullah, S. Syed; Deshmukh, Sampat G.; Arunachalam, A.

    2018-05-01

    Transparent conductive Sn doped ZnO nanorods have been deposited at various doping level by spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrate. The structural, surface morphological and optical properties of these films have been investigated with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and UV-Vis spectrophotometer respectively. XRD patterns revealed a successful high quality growth of single crystal ZnO nanorods with hexagonal wurtzite structure having (002) preferred orientation. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the prepared films exposed the uniform distribution of Sn doped ZnO nanorod shaped grains. All these films were highly transparent in the visible region with average transmittance of 90%.

  17. Study of sterilization-treatment in pure and N- doped carbon thin films synthesized by inductively coupled plasma assisted pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Javid, Amjed [Center for Advanced Plasma Surface Technology (CAPST), NU-SKKU Joint Institute for Plasma Nano-Materials (IPNM), Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Textile Processing, National Textile University, Faisalabad 37610 (Pakistan); Kumar, Manish, E-mail: manishk@skku.edu [Center for Advanced Plasma Surface Technology (CAPST), NU-SKKU Joint Institute for Plasma Nano-Materials (IPNM), Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jeon Geon, E-mail: hanjg@skku.edu [Center for Advanced Plasma Surface Technology (CAPST), NU-SKKU Joint Institute for Plasma Nano-Materials (IPNM), Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Pure and N-doped nanocrystallie carbon films are synthesized by ICP assisted pulsed DC plasma process. • ICP power induces the increase in average graphitic crystallite size from 4.86 nm to 6.42 nm. • Beneficial role of ICP source assistance to achieve high sputtering throughput (deposition rate ∼55 nm/min). • Post-sterilization electron-transport study shows N-doped carbon films having promising stability. - Abstract: Electrically-conductive nanocrystalline carbon films, having non-toxic and non-immunogenic characteristics, are promising candidates for reusable medical devices. Here, the pure and N- doped nanocrystalline carbon films are deposited by the assistance of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) in an unbalanced facing target pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering process. Through the optical emission spectroscopy study, the role of ICP assistance and N-doping on the reactive components/radicals during the synthesis is presented. The N-doping enhances the three fold bonding configurations by increasing the ionization and energies of the plasma species. Whereas, the ICP addition increases the plasma density to control the deposition rate and film structure. As a result, sputtering-throughput (deposition rate: 31–55 nm/min), electrical resistivity (4–72 Ωcm) and water contact angle (45.12°–54°) are significantly tailored. Electric transport study across the surface microchannel confirms the superiority of N-doped carbon films for sterilization stability over the undoped carbon films.

  18. Sn-doped polyhedral In2O3 particles: Synthesis, characterization, and origins of luminous emission in wide visible range

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Yunqing; Chen Yiqing

    2012-01-01

    Sn-doped octahedronal and tetrakaidecahedronal In 2 O 3 particles were successfully synthesized by simple thermal evaporation of indium grains using SnO as dopant. Structural characterization results demonstrated that the Sn-doped tetrakaidecahedronal In 2 O 3 particle had additional six {001} crystal surfaces compared with the octahedronal one. The luminous properties of both samples were characterized by photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. A broad visible luminous emission around 570 nm was observed. Studies revealed that the emission consisted of three peaks of 511 nm, 564 nm, and 622 nm, which were attributed to radioactive recombination centers such as single ionized oxygen vacancy, indium interstitial, and antisite oxygen, respectively. We believe that the Sn donor level plays an important role in the visible luminous emission. - Graphical abstract: With more oxygen vacancies and tin doping. ITO particles can exhibit a better CL performance. Sn donor level near the conduction band edge plays an important role in luminous emission in wide visible range. Highlights: ► Polyhedral ITO particles synthesized by thermal evaporation using SnO as dopant. ► Broad visible luminous emission around 570 nm. ► Sn donor level plays an important role in the visible emission. ► ITO particles with more oxygen vacancies have better CL performance in visible range.

  19. Electro-caloric effect in lead-free Sn doped BaTiO3 ceramics at room temperature and low applied fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Upadhyay, Sanjay Kumar; Reddy, V. Raghavendra; Bag, Pallab; Rawat, R.; Gupta, S. M.; Gupta, Ajay

    2014-01-01

    Structural, dielectric, ferroelectric (FE), 119 Sn Mössbauer, and specific heat measurements of polycrystalline BaTi 1–x Sn x O 3 (x = 0% to 15%) ceramics are reported. Phase purity and homogeneous phase formation with Sn doping is confirmed from x-ray diffraction and 119 Sn Mössbauer measurements. With Sn doping, the microstructure is found to change significantly. Better ferroelectric properties at room temperature, i.e., increased remnant polarization (38% more) and very low field switchability (225% less) are observed for x = 5% sample as compared to other samples and the results are explained in terms of grain size effects. With Sn doping, merging of all the phase transitions into a single one is observed for x ≥ 10% and for x = 5%, the tetragonal to orthorhombic transition temperature is found close to room temperature. As a consequence better electro-caloric effects are observed for x = 5% sample and therefore is expected to satisfy the requirements for non-toxic, low energy (field) and room temperature based applications.

  20. Employment of fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (ZnSnOx:F) coating layer on stainless steel 316 for a bipolar plate for PEMFC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Ji Hun; Byun, Dongjin; Lee, Joong Kee

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Preparation of fluorine doped tin oxide (SnOx:F) and fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (ZnSnOx:F) coating layer on the surface of stainless steel 316 bipolar plate for PEMFCs (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells). → Evaluations of the corrosion resistance and the interfacial contact resistance of the bare, SnOx:F and ZnSnOx:F thin film coated stainless steel 316 bipolar plates. → Evaluation of single cell performance such as cell voltage and power density using bare stainless steel, SnOx:F and ZnSnOx:F film coated bipolar plates. - Abstract: The investigation of the electrochemical characteristics of the fluorine doped tin oxide (SnOx:F) and fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (ZnSnOx:F) was carried out in the simulated PEMFC environment and bare stainless steel 316 was used as a reference. The results showed that the ZnSnOx:F coating enhanced both the corrosion resistance and interfacial contact resistance (ICR). The corrosion current for ZnSnOx:F was 1.2 μA cm -2 which was much lower than that of bare stainless steel of 50.16 μA cm -2 . The ZnSnOx:F coated film had the smallest corrosion current due to the formation of a tight surface morphology with very few pin-holes. The ZnSnOx:F coated film exhibited the highest values of the cell voltage and power density due to its having the lowest ICR values.

  1. Structural and optical characterization of p-type highly Fe-doped SnO2 thin films and tunneling transport on SnO2:Fe/p-Si heterojunction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Haj Othmen, Walid; Ben Hamed, Zied; Sieber, Brigitte; Addad, Ahmed; Elhouichet, Habib; Boukherroub, Rabah

    2018-03-01

    Nanocrystalline highly Fe-doped SnO2 thin films were prepared using a new simple sol-gel method with iron amounts of 5, 10, 15 and 20%. The obtained gel offers a long durability and high quality allowing to reach a sub-5 nm nanocrystalline size with a good crystallinity. The films were structurally characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD) that confirms the formation of rutile SnO2. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) images reveals the good crystallinity of the nanoparticles. Raman spectroscopy shows that the SnO2 rutile structure is maintained even for high iron concentration. The variation of the PL intensity with Fe concentration reveals that iron influences the distribution of oxygen vacancies in tin oxide. The optical transmittance results indicate a redshift of the SnO2 band gap when iron concentration increases. The above optical results lead us to assume the presence of a compensation phenomenon between oxygen vacancies and introduced holes following Fe doping. From current-voltage measurements, an inversion of the conduction type from n to p is strongly predicted to follow the iron addition. Electrical characterizations of SnO2:Fe/p-Si and SnO2:Fe/n-Si heterojunctions seem to be in accordance with this deduction. The quantum tunneling mechanism is expected to be important at high Fe doping level, which was confirmed by current-voltage measurements at different temperatures. Both optical and electrical properties of the elaborated films present a particularity for the same iron concentration and adopt similar tendencies with Fe amount, which strongly correlate the experimental observations. In order to evaluate the applicability of the elaborated films, we proceed to the fabrication of the SnO2:Fe/SnO2 homojunction for which we note a good rectifying behavior.

  2. Effect of Low Concentration Sn Doping on Optical Properties of CdS Films Grown by CBD Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohd Sabri Mohd Ghazali

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Thin and transparent films of doped cadmium sulfide (CdS were obtained on commercial glass substrates by Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD technique. The films were doped with low concentration of Sn, and annealed in air at 300 °C for 45 min. The morphological characterization of the films with different amounts of dopant was made using SEM and EDAX analysis. Optical properties of the films were evaluated by measuring transmittance using the UV-vis spectrophotometer. A comparison of the results revealed that lower concentration of Sn doping improves transmittance of CdS films and makes them suitable for application as window layer of CdTe/CIGS solar cells.

  3. Evaluation of surface energy state distribution and bulk defect concentration in DSSC photoanodes based on Sn, Fe, and Cu doped TiO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ako, Rajour Tanyi [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara (Brunei Darussalam); Ekanayake, Piyaisiri, E-mail: piyasiri.ekanayake@ubd.edu.bn [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara (Brunei Darussalam); Young, David James [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara (Brunei Darussalam); Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research -A*STAR, 3 Research Link, 117602 (Singapore); Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558 (Australia); Hobley, Jonathan [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara (Brunei Darussalam); Chellappan, Vijila [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research - A*STAR, 3 Research Link, 117602 (Singapore); Tan, Ai Ling [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara (Brunei Darussalam); Gorelik, Sergey; Subramanian, Gomathy Sandhya [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research - A*STAR, 3 Research Link, 117602 (Singapore); Lim, Chee Ming [Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE1410, Negara (Brunei Darussalam)

    2015-10-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The structural, optical and optoelectronic properties of 1 mol.% Fe, Sn and Cu doped TiO{sub 2} have been compared. • Transient lifetimes for pure TiO{sub 2} and Sn doped TiO{sub 2} were considerably shorter than Fe and Cu doped TiO{sub 2}. • A good correlation between the bulk defects and transient decay for the doped TiO{sub 2} powders was observed. • Photon to current conversion efficiency of DSSC based on the metal doped TiO{sub 2} were in order Sn-TiO{sub 2} > Cu-TiO{sub 2} > Pure >> Fe-TiO{sub 2}. • DSSC based on Fe doped photoanodes is limited by a high concentration of surface free holes observed at 433 nm. - Abstract: Electron transfer dynamics in the oxide layers of the working electrodes in both dye-sensitized solar cells and photocatalysts greatly influences their performance. A proper understanding of the distribution of surface and bulk energy states on/in these oxide layers can provide insights into the associated electron transfer processes. Metal ions like Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu) and Tin (Sn) doped onto TiO{sub 2} have shown enhanced photoactivity in these processes. In this work, the structural, optical and transient properties of Fe, Cu and Sn doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystalline powders have been investigated and compared using EDX, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Transient Absorption spectroscopy (TAS). Surface free energy states distributions were probed using Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) based on the doped TiO{sub 2} photoanodes. Raman and XPS Ti2p{sub 3/2} peak shifts and broadening showed that the concentration of defects were in the order: Cu doped TiO{sub 2} > Fe doped TiO{sub 2} > Sn doped TiO{sub 2} > pure TiO{sub 2}. Nanosecond laser flash photolysis of Fe and Cu doped TiO{sub 2} indicated slower transient decay kinetics than that of Sn doped TiO{sub 2} or pure TiO{sub 2}. A broad absorption peak and fast

  4. Shape-controlled synthesis of Sn-doped CuO nanoparticles for catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vomáčka, Petr; Štengl, Václav; Henych, Jiří; Kormunda, M.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 481, NOV (2016), s. 28-38 ISSN 0021-9797 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2015073 Institutional support: RVO:61388980 Keywords : Sn-doped CuO * Tin doping * Copper oxide * Catalyst * Catalytic activity * Morphology Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 4.233, year: 2016

  5. Highly transparent and conductive Sn/F and Al co-doped ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, Zhanchang; Luo, Junming; Tian, Xinlong; Wu, Shoukun; Chen, Chun; Deng, Jianfeng; Xiao, Chumin; Hu, Guanghui; Wei, Zhigang

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • F/Sn and Al co-doped ZnO thin films were synthesized by sol–gel method. • The co-doped nanocrystals exhibit good crystal quality. • The origin of the photoluminescence emissions was discussed. • The films showed high transmittance and low resistivity. -- Abstract: Al doped ZnO, Al–Sn co-doped ZnO and Al–F co-doped ZnO nanocrystals were successfully synthesized onto glass substrates by the sol–gel method. The structure and morphology of the films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results indicated that all the films were polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and exhibited a c-axis preferred orientation. The electrical and optical properties were also investigated by 4-point probe device and Uv–vis spectroscopy, room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectrum (Raman), respectively. The PL and Raman results suggested that the co-doped films with a very low defect concentration and exhibit a better crystallinity than AZO thin films. The XPS study confirmed the incorporation of Al, Sn and F ions in the ZnO lattice

  6. Rutile-type Co doped SnO{sub 2} diluted magnetic semiconductor nanoparticles: Structural, dielectric and ferromagnetic behavior

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mehraj, Sumaira, E-mail: sumairamehraj07@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002 (India); Shahnawaze Ansari, M. [Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah-21589 (Saudi Arabia); Alimuddin [Department of Applied Physics, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002 (India)

    2013-12-01

    Nanoparticles of basic composition Sn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 2} (x=0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.1) were synthesized through the citrate-gel method and were characterized for structural properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). XRD analysis of the powder samples sintered at 500 °C for 12 h showed single phase rutile type tetragonal structure and the crystallite size decreased as the cobalt content was increased. FT-IR spectrum displayed various bands that came due to fundamental overtones and combination of O–H, Sn–O and Sn–O–Sn entities. The effect of Co doping on the electrical and magnetic properties was studied using dielectric spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature. The dielectric parameters (ε, tan δ and σ{sub ac}) show their maximum value for 10% Co doping. The dielectric loss shows anomalous behavior with frequency where it exhibits the Debye relaxation. The variation of dielectric properties and ac conductivity with frequency reveals that the dispersion is due to the Maxwell–Wagner type of interfacial polarization in general and hopping of charge between Sn{sup 2+} and Sn{sup 4+} as well as between Co{sup 2+} and Co{sup 3+} ions. The complex impedance analysis was used to separate the grain and grain boundary contributions in the system which shows that the conduction process in grown nanoparticles takes place predominantly through grain boundary volume. Hysteresis loops were observed clearly in M–H curves from 0.01 to 0.1% Co doped SnO{sub 2} samples. The saturation magnetization of the doped samples increased slightly with increase of Co concentration. However pure SnO{sub 2} displayed paramagnetism which vanished at higher values of magnetic field.

  7. Preparation of Pr-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanofibers by electrospinning method and their gas sensing properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, W.Q.; Ma, S.Y., E-mail: lwq19891013@126.com; Li, Y.F.; Li, X.B.; Wang, C.Y.; Yang, X.H.; Cheng, L.; Mao, Y.Z.; Luo, J.; Gengzang, D.J.; Wan, G.X.; Xu, X.L.

    2014-08-25

    Highlights: • Pr-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning. • The crystal structures, surface morphology, chemical state and gas sensing performance were investigated. • The Pr-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow structure exhibited good gas-sensing properties to ethanol at 300 °C. • The relationships between response time (recovery time) and temperature, response time (recovery time) and concentration were investigated. • A sensor mechanism of hollow nanofibers depend on temperature was discussed. - Abstract: Pure and Pr-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanofibers were fabricated through a facile single capillary electrospinning and followed by calcination. The properties of as-synthesized nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Compared with pure fibers, Pr-doped SnO{sub 2} nanofibers exhibited excellent ethanol sensing properties at the optimum temperature of 300 °C. Maximum sensing response to ethanol was received in the fibers with 0.6 wt% Pr. The relationships between response time (recovery time) and temperature, response time (recovery time) and concentration were investigated. The results demonstrated that the high response and relatively short response/recovery time were related to surface area, adsorbed oxygen species and oxygen vacancies.

  8. A simple structure of Cu2ZnSnS4/CdS solar cells prepared by sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhishan; Wang, Shurong; Ma, Xun; Yang, Min; Jiang, Zhi; Liu, Tao; Lu, Yilei; Liu, Sijia

    2017-12-01

    In this work, Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were grown on Mo-coated Soda-lime-glass (SLG) substrates by annealing of sputtered ZnS/Sn/CuS precursors at 580 ℃ for 15 min. As a try, the CZTS solar cells were fabricated using simple structure of Mo-coated SLG/CZTS/CdS/Al and traditional structure of Mo-coated SLG/CZTS/CdS/i-ZnO/In2O3:SnO2 (ITO)/Al, respectively. The results show that the CZTS device with simple structure can achieve same level of the open circuit voltage (Voc) compared with that of traditional structure. In addition, the power conversion efficiency of 2.95% and 3.59% were obtained with simple structure and traditional structure, respectively. The CZTS solar cell with simple structure provides a promising way and an easy process to prepare high-performance CZTS thin film solar cells which is available to large-scale industrial production in the future.

  9. Stabilization of Fermi level via electronic excitation in Sn doped CdO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Arkaprava; Singh, Fouran

    2018-04-01

    Pure and Sn doped CdO sol-gel derived thin films were deposited on corning glass substrate and further irradiated by swift heavy ion (SHI) (Ag and O) with fluence upto 3×1013 ions/cm2. The observed tensile stress from X-ray diffraction pattern at higher fluence for Ag ions can be corroborated to the imbrications of cylindrical tracks due to multiple impacts. The anomalous band gap enhancement after irradiation may be attributed to the consolidated effect of Burstein-Moss shift (BMS) and impurity induced virtual gap states (ViGs). At higher excitation density as Fermi stabilization level (EFS) tends to coincide with charge neutrality level (CNL), band gap enhancement saturates as further creation of additional defects inside the lattice becomes unsustainable. Raman spectroscopy divulges an intensity enhancement of 478 cm-1 LO phonon mode with Sn doping and irradiation induces further asymmetric peak broadening due to damage and disordering inside the lattice. However for 3% Sn doped thin film irradiated with Ag ions having 3×1013 fluence shows a drastic change in structural properties and reduction in band gap which might be attributed to the generation of localized energy levels between conduction and valance band due to high density of defects.

  10. Lattice doped Zn–SnO{sub 2} nanospheres: A systematic exploration of dopant ion effects on structural, optical, and enhanced gas sensing properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baraneedharan, P. [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India); Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Imran Hussain, S. [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India); Department of Applied Science and Technology, Anna University, Chennai 600 025 (India); Dinesh, V.P. [Nanosensor Laboratory, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Coimbatore 641004 (India); Siva, C. [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India); Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM University, Kattankulathur 603 203 (India); Biji, P. [Nanosensor Laboratory, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Coimbatore 641004 (India); Sivakumar, M., E-mail: muthusiva@gmail.com [Nanoscience and Technology, Anna University – BIT Campus, Tiruchirappalli 620024 (India)

    2015-12-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A simple, novel and surfactant free hydrothermal route to prepare SnO{sub 2} nanospheres. • A systematic investigation of growth mechanism with the assist of time dependent HR-TEM images. • Incorporation of Zn ions into SnO{sub 2} lattices clearly elucidated with XRD and XPS spectrums. • Three fold time increased response in Zn–SnO{sub 2} nanospheres when compared to undoped SnO{sub 2}. - Abstract: A surfactant-free one step hydrothermal method is reported to synthesize zinc (Zn{sup 2+}) doped SnO{sub 2} nanospheres. The structural analysis of X-ray diffraction confirms the tetragonal crystal system of the material with superior crystalline nature. The shift in diffraction peak, variation in lattice constant and disparity in particle size confirm the incorporation of Zn{sup 2+} ions to the Sn host lattices. The lattice doped structure, the disparity in morphology, size and shape by the addition of Zn{sup 2+} ions are evident from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic and electron microscopic analysis. Significant changes in the absorption edge and the band gap with increased doping concentration were observed in UV–vis absorption spectral analysis. The formation of acceptor energy levels with the incorporation of Zn{sup 2+} ions has a significant effect on the electrical conductivity of SnO{sub 2} nanospheres. Comparative tests for gas sensors based on Zn doped SnO{sub 2} nanospheres and SnO{sub 2} nanospheres clearly show that the former exhibited excellent NO{sub 2} sensing performance. The responses of Zn{sup 2+} ions incorporated SnO{sub 2} nanospheres sensor were increased 3 fold at trace level NO{sub 2} gas concentrations ranging from 1 to 5 ppm. The excellent sensitivity, selectivity and fast response make the Zn{sup 2+} doped SnO{sub 2} nanospheres ideal for NO{sub 2} sensing.

  11. Characteristics of W Doped Nanocrystalline Carbon Films Prepared by Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Yong Seob; Park, Chul Min; Kim, Nam-Hoon; Kim, Jae-Moon

    2016-05-01

    Nanocrystalline tungsten doped carbon (WC) films were prepared by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Tungsten was used as the doping material in carbon thin films with the aim of application as a contact strip in an electric railway. The structural, physical, and electrical properties of the fabricated WC films with various DC bias voltages were investigated. The films had a uniform and smooth surface. Hardness and frication characteristics of the films were improved, and the resistivity and sheet resistance decreased with increasing negative DC bias voltage. These results are associated with the nanocrystalline WC phase and sp(2) clusters in carbon networks increased by ion bombardment enhanced with increasing DC bias voltage. Consequently, the increase of sp(2) clusters containing WC nanocrystalline in the carbon films is attributed to the improvement in the physical and electrical properties.

  12. The effect of simultaneous substitution on the electronic band structure and thermoelectric properties of Se-doped Co3SnInS2 with the Kagome lattice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujioka, Masaya; Shibuya, Taizo; Nakai, Junya; Yoshiyasu, Keigo; Sakai, Yuki; Takano, Yoshihiko; Kamihara, Yoichi; Matoba, Masanori

    2014-12-01

    The thermoelectric properties and electronic band structures for Se-doped Co3SnInS2 were examined. The parent compound of this material (Co3Sn2S2) has two kinds of Sn sites (Sn1 and Sn2 sites). The density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the indium substitution at the Sn2 site induces a metallic band structure, on the other hand, a semiconducting band structure is obtained from substitution at the Sn1 site. However, according to the previous reports, since the indium atom prefers to replace the tin atom at the Sn1 site rather than the Sn2 site, the resistivity of Co3SnInS2 shows semiconducting-like behavior. In this study we have demonstrated that metallic behavior and a decrease in resistivity for Se-doped Co3SnInS2 occurs without suppression of the Seebeck coefficient. From the DFT calculations, when the selenium content is above 0.5, the total crystallographic energy shows that a higher indium occupancy at Sn2 site is more stable. Therefore, it is suggested that the selenium doping suppress the site preference for indium substitution. This is one of the possible explanations for the metallic conductivity observed in Se-doped Co3SnInS2

  13. Comparison of Sn-doped and nonstoichiometric vertical-Bridgman-grown crystals of the topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 2}Se

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kushwaha, S. K., E-mail: kushwaha@princeton.edu; Gibson, Q. D.; Cava, R. J. [Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States); Xiong, J.; Ong, N. P. [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States); Pletikosic, I. [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States); Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); Weber, A. P. [National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); Fedorov, A. V. [Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Valla, T. [Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)

    2014-04-14

    A comparative study of the properties of topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 2}Se (BTS) crystals grown by the vertical Bridgeman method is described. Two defect mechanisms that create acceptor impurities to compensate for the native n-type carriers are compared: Bi excess, and light Sn doping. Both methods yield low carrier concentrations and an n-p crossover over the length of the grown crystal boules, but lower carrier concentrations and higher resistivities are obtained for the Sn-doped crystals, which reach carrier concentrations as low as 8 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup −3}. Further, the temperature dependent resistivities for the Sn-doped crystals display strongly activated behavior at high temperatures, with a characteristic energy of half the bulk band gap. The (001) cleaved Sn-doped BTS crystals display high quality Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) quantum oscillations due to the topological surface state electrons. Angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) characterization shows that the Fermi energy (E{sub F}) for the Sn-doped crystals falls cleanly in the surface states with no interference from the bulk bands, which the Dirac point for the surface states lies approximately 60 meV below the top of the bulk valence band maximum, and allows for a determination of the bulk and surface state carrier concentrations as a function of Energy near E{sub F}. Electronic structure calculations that compare Bi excess and Sn dopants in BTS demonstrate that Sn acts as a special impurity, with a localized impurity band that acts as a charge buffer occurring inside the bulk band gap. We propose that the special resonant level character of Sn in BTS gives rise to the exceptionally low carrier concentrations and activated resistivities observed.

  14. The Effect of Eu Doping on Microstructure, Morphology and Methanal-Sensing Performance of Highly Ordered SnO2 Nanorods Array

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanping Zhao

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Layered Eu-doped SnO2 ordered nanoarrays constructed by nanorods with 10 nm diameters and several hundred nanometers length were synthesized by a substrate-free hydrothermal route using alcohol and water mixed solvent of sodium stannate and sodium hydroxide at 200 °C. The Eu dopant acted as a crystal growth inhibitor to prevent the SnO2 nanorods growth up, resulting in tenuous SnO2 nanorods ordered arrays. The X-ray diffraction (XRD revealed the tetragonal rutile-type structure with a systematic average size reduction and unit cell volume tumescence, while enhancing the residual strain as the Eu-doped content increases. The surface defects that were caused by the incorporation of Eu ions within the surface oxide matrix were observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM. The results of the response properties of sensors based on the different levels of Eu-doped SnO2 layered nanoarrays demonstrated that the 0.5 at % Eu-doped SnO2 layered nanorods arrays exhibited an excellent sensing response to methanal at 278 °C. The reasons of the enhanced sensing performance were discussed from the complicated defect surface structure, the large specific surface area, and the excellent catalytic properties of Eu dopant.

  15. Influence of film thickness on structural, optical, and electrical properties of spray deposited antimony doped SnO{sub 2} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yadav, Abhijit A., E-mail: aay_physics@yahoo.co.in

    2015-09-30

    Transparent conducting antimony doped SnO{sub 2} thin films with varying thickness were deposited by chemical spray pyrolysis technique from non-aqueous solvent Propan-2-ol. The effect of film thickness on the properties of antimony doped SnO{sub 2} thin films have been studied. X-ray diffraction measurements showed tetragonal crystal structure of as-deposited antimony doped SnO{sub 2} films irrespective of film thickness. The surface morphology of antimony doped SnO{sub 2} thin film is spherical with the continuous distribution of grains. Electrical and optical properties were investigated by Hall Effect and optical measurements. The average optical transmittance of films decreased from 89% to 73% within the visible range (350–850 nm) with increase in film thickness. The minimum value of sheet resistance observed is 4.81 Ω/cm{sup 2}. The lowest resistivity found is 3.76 × 10{sup −4} Ω cm at 660 nm film thickness. - Highlights: • Effect of film thickness on the properties of antimony doped SnO{sub 2} thin films • Crystalline size in the range of 34–37 nm • Average transmittance decreased from 89% to 73% in the visible region. • Minimum sheet resistance of 4.81 Ω/cm{sup 2} • Lowest resistivity is found to be 3.76 × 10{sup −4} Ω cm at 660 nm film thickness.

  16. Enhancing electrocatalytic performance of Sb-doped SnO ₂ electrode by compositing nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Tigang; Wen, Qing; Chen, Ye; Zhou, Yiding; Duan, Ying

    2014-09-15

    An efficient Ti/Sb-SnO2 electrode modified with nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets (NGNS) was successfully fabricated by the sol-gel and dip coating method. Compared with Ti/Sb-SnO2 electrode, the NGNS-modified electrode possesses smaller unite crystalline volume (71.11Å(3) vs. 71.32Å(3)), smaller electrical resistivity (13Ωm vs. 34Ωm), and lower charge transfer resistance (10.91Ω vs. 21.01Ω). The accelerated lifetime of Ti/Sb-SnO2-NGNS electrode is prolonged significantly, which is 4.45 times as long as that of Ti/Sb-SnO2 electrode. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement and voltammetric charge analysis indicate that introducing NGNS into the active coating can increase more reaction active sites to enhance the electrocatalytic efficiency. The electrochemical dye decolorization analysis demonstrates that Ti/Sb-SnO2-NGNS presents efficient electrocatalytic performance for methylene blue and orange II decolorization. And its pseudo-first order kinetic rate constants for methylene blue and orange II decolorization are 36.6 and 44.0 min(-1), respectively, which are 6.0 and 7.1 times as efficient as those of Ti/Sb-SnO2, respectively. Considering the significant electrocatalytic activity and low resistivity of Ti/Sb-SnO2-NGNS electrode, the cost of wastewater treatment can be expected to be reduced obviously and the application prospect is broad. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Metal-Organic Frameworks Derived Okra-like SnO2 Encapsulated in Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for Lithium Ion Battery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xiangyang; Chen, Sanmei; Yang, Juan; Bai, Tao; Ren, Yongpeng; Tian, Hangyu

    2017-04-26

    A facile process is developed to prepare SnO 2 -based composites through using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as precursors. The nitrogen-doped graphene wrapped okra-like SnO 2 composites (SnO 2 @N-RGO) are successfully synthesized for the first time by using Sn-based metal-organic frameworks (Sn-MOF) as precursors. When utilized as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the SnO 2 @N-RGO composites possess a remarkably superior reversible capacity of 1041 mA h g -1 at a constant current of 200 mA g -1 after 180 charge-discharge processes and excellent rate capability. The excellent performance can be primarily ascribed to the unique structure of 1D okra-like SnO 2 in SnO 2 @N-RGO which are actually composed of a great number of SnO 2 primary crystallites and numerous well-defined internal voids, can effectively alleviate the huge volume change of SnO 2 , and facilitate the transport and storage of lithium ions. Besides, the structural stability acquires further improvement when the okra-like SnO 2 are wrapped by N-doped graphene. Similarly, this synthetic strategy can be employed to synthesize other high-capacity metal-oxide-based composites starting from various metal-organic frameworks, exhibiting promising application in novel electrode material field of lithium-ion batteries.

  18. Oxidation of Pb-Sn and Pb-Sn-In alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sluzewski, D.A.; Chang, Y.A.; Marcotte, V.C.

    1990-01-01

    Air oxidized Pb-Sn and Pb-Sn-In single phase alloys have been studied with scanning Auger microscopy. Line scans across grain boundaries combined with argon ion sputter etching revealed grain boundary oxidation. In the Pb-Sn samples, tin is preferentially oxidized with the grain boundary regions having a much higher percentage of tin oxide than the bulk surface oxide. In the Pb-Sn-In alloys, both tin and indium are preferentially oxidized with the grain boundary regions being enriched with tin and indium oxides

  19. Electronic structure and magnetic properties of Ni-doped SnO2 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Mayuri; Kumar, Shalendra; Alvi, P. A.

    2018-05-01

    This paper reports the electronic structure and magnetic properties of Ni-doped SnO2 thin film which were grown on Si (100) substrate by PLD (pulse laser deposition) technique under oxygen partial pressure (PO2). For getting electronic structure and magnetic behavior, the films were characterized using near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and DC magnetization measurements. The NEXAFS study at Ni L3,2 edge has been done to understand the local environment of Ni and Sn ions within SnO2 lattice. DC magnetization measurement shows that the saturation magnetization increases with the increase in substitution of Ni2+ ions in the system.

  20. Annealing of RF-magnetron sputtered SnS{sub 2} precursors as a new route for single phase SnS thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sousa, M.G., E-mail: martasousa@ua.pt [AIN, I3N and Departamento de Física, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Cunha, A.F. da, E-mail: antonio.cunha@ua.pt [AIN, I3N and Departamento de Física, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Fernandes, P.A., E-mail: pafernandes@ua.pt [AIN, I3N and Departamento de Física, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Departamento de Física, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto (Portugal)

    2014-04-01

    Tin sulphide thin films have been grown on soda-lime glass substrates through the annealing of RF-magnetron sputtered SnS{sub 2} precursors. Three different approaches to the annealing were compared and the resulting films thoroughly studied. One series of precursors was annealed in a tubular furnace directly exposed to a flux of sulphur vapour plus forming gas, N{sub 2} + 5%H{sub 2}, and at a constant pressure of 500 mbar. The other two series of identical precursors were annealed in the same furnace but inside a graphite box with and without elemental sulphur evaporation again in the presence of N{sub 2} + 5%H{sub 2} and at the same pressure as for the sulphur flux experiments. Different maximum annealing temperatures for each set of samples, in the range of 300–570 °C, were tested to study their effects on the properties of the final films. The resulting phases were structurally investigated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Annealing of SnS{sub 2} precursors in sulphur flux produced films where SnS{sub 2} was dominant for temperatures up to 480 °C. Increasing the temperature to 530 °C and 570 °C led to films where the dominant phase became Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3}. Annealing of SnS{sub 2} precursors in a graphite box with sulphur vapour at temperatures in the range between 300 °C and 480 °C the films are multi-phase, containing Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3}, SnS{sub 2} and SnS. For high annealing temperatures of 530 °C and 570 °C the films have SnS as the dominant phase. Annealing of SnS{sub 2} precursors in a graphite box without sulphur vapour at 300 °C and 360 °C the films are essentially amorphous, at 420 °C SnS{sub 2} is the dominant phase. For temperatures of 480 °C and 530 °C SnS is the dominant phase but also same residual SnS{sub 2} and Sn{sub 2}S{sub 3} phases are observed. For annealing at 570 °C, according to the XRD results the films appear to be single phase SnS. The composition was studied using energy dispersive spectroscopy being

  1. Wavelength-tuned light emission via modifying the band edge symmetry: Doped SnO2 as an example

    KAUST Repository

    Zhou, Hang; Deng, Rui; Li, Yongfeng; Yao, Bin; Ding, Zhanhui; Wang, Qingxiao; Han, Yu; Wu, Tao; Liu, Lei

    2014-01-01

    at 398 nm is observed in the indium-doped SnO2-based heterojunction. Our results demonstrate an unprecedented doping-based approach toward tailoring the symmetry of band edge states and recovering ultraviolet light emission in wide-bandgap oxides. © 2014

  2. Core shell structured nanoparticles of Eu3+ doped SnO2 with SiO2 shell: luminescence studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ningthoujam, R.S.; Sudarsan, V.; Kulshreshtha, S.K.

    2005-01-01

    Re dispersible SnO 2 nanoparticles with and without Eu 3+ doping nanoparticles were prepared at 185 deg C by the urea hydrolysis of Sn 4+ in ethylene glycol medium. X-ray diffraction and 119 Sn MAS NMR studies of these particles revealed that these nanoparticles are crystalline with Cassiterite structure having an average crystallite size of 7 nm. Undoped SnO 2 gave a emission peak centered around 470 nm characteristic of the traps present in the nanoparticles. For Eu 3+ doped samples, emission around 590 and 615 nm was observed on both direct excitation as well as indirect excitation through traps, indicating that there is an energy transfer between the traps present in the nanoparticles and Eu 3+ ions. The asymmetric ratio of luminescence (relative intensity ratio of 590 to 615 nm transitions) has been found to be 1.2. For SnO 2 :Eu(5%)-SiO 2 nanoparticles, the asymmetric ratio of luminescence change significantly indicating the formation of nanoparticles with SnO 2 :Eu(5%) core covered with SiO 2 shell. (author)

  3. In situ growth of SnO2 nanoparticles in heteroatoms doped cross-linked carbon frameworks for lithium ion batteries anodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Xiangyang; Xi, Lihua; Chen, Feng; Bai, Tao; Wang, Biao; Yang, Juan

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A facile hydrothermal method is proposed to prepare cross-linked NSG/CNTs@SnO 2 . • The graphene/CNTs anchored with untrasmall SnO 2 nanoparticles can be obtained. • The N, S are successfully incorporated into the carbon matrix. • The NSG/CNTs@SnO 2 presents enhanced cycling stability and good high-rate capacity. - Abstract: SnO 2 -based nanostructures have attracted considerable interest as a promising high-capacity anode materials for lithium ion batteries. We present herein a facile one step hydrothermal approach for in situ growth of SnO 2 nanoparticles in heteroatoms doped cross-linked carbon framework (NSG/CNTs@SnO 2 ). Thiourea is employed as a single source of nitrogen and sulfur in the cross-linked carbon framework (NSG/CNTs). Characterization shows that the SnO 2 nanoparticles with an average size of 6–10 nm are uniformly anchored on NSG/CNTs matrix. When evaluated for the electrochemical properties in lithium ion batteries, the obtained NSG/CNTs@SnO 2 composite with ultrasmall SnO 2 particle size (6–10 nm) delivers a high reversible capacity of 999 mAh g −1 at 200 mA g −1 after 120 cycles and excellent rate performance. Such outstanding electrochemical performance of the peculiar cross-linked NSG/CNTs@SnO 2 composite can be primarily attributed to the synergistic effect of the ultrasmall anchored SnO 2 nanoparticles and the dual-doped NSG/CNTs matrix. The uniformly distributed SnO 2 nanoparticles can deliver large capacity and the robust dual-doped NSG/CNTs matrix can guarantee the good structural integrity and high electrical conductivity during cycling. Besides, the porous structure can provide free space for the volume expansion of SnO 2 and accommodate the strain formed during repeated lithiation/delithiation processes.

  4. Structural and electrical properties of sputtering power and gas pressure on Ti-dope In2O3 transparent conductive films by RF magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaoumead, Accarat; Joo, Bong-Hyun; Kwak, Dong-Joo; Sung, Youl-Moon

    2013-06-01

    Transparent conductive titanium-doped indium oxide (ITiO) films were deposited on Corning glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. The effects of RF sputtering power and Ar gas pressure on the structural and electrical properties of the films were investigated experimentally, using a 2.5 wt% TiO2-doped In2O3 target. The deposition rate was in the range of around 20-60 nm/min under the experimental conditions of 5-20 mTorr of gas pressure and 220-350 W of RF power. The lowest resistivity of 1.2 × 10-4 Ω cm, the average optical transmittance of 75%, the high hall mobility of 47.03 cm2/V s and the relatively low carrier concentration of 1.15E+21 cm-3 were obtained for the ITiO film, prepared at RF power of 300 W and Ar gas pressure of 15 mTorr. This resistivity of 1.2 × 10-4 Ω cm is low enough as a transparent conducting layer in various electro-optical devices and it is comparable with that of ITO or ZnO:Al conducting layer.

  5. Synthesis, characterization and photoluminescence properties of Dy3+ -doped nano-crystalline SnO2.

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Pillai, SK

    2010-04-15

    Full Text Available the crystallite size. The experimental result on photoluminescence characteristics originating from Dy3+-doping in nanocrystalline SnO2 reveals the dependence of the luminescent intensity on dopant concentration....

  6. Synthesis of La2O3 doped Zn2SnO4 hollow fibers by electrospinning method and application in detecting of acetone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, H. M.; Ma, S. Y.; Yang, G. J.; Chen, Q.; Zeng, Q. Z.; Ge, Q.; Ma, L.; Tie, Y.

    2017-12-01

    Hollow porous pure and La2O3 doped Zn2SnO4 fibers were synthesized via single capillary electrospinning technology and used for obtaining of gas sensors. The as-prepared samples were characterized by microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-vis absorption spectra. The newly obtained gas sensors were investigated for acetone detection. Compared with pure Zn2SnO4 hollow fibers, the La2O3 doped Zn2SnO4 hollow fibers not only exhibited perfect sensing performance toward acetone with excellent selectivity, high response and fast response/recovery capability (7 s for adsorption and 9 s for desorption), but also the operating temperature was reduced from 240 °C to 200 °C. These results demonstrated that the special hollow porous La doped Zn2SnO4 fibers structures were used as the sensing material for fabricating high performance acetone sensors. The acetone sensing mechanism of La2O3 doped Zn2SnO4 hollow fibers was discussed too.

  7. Preparation of p-type GaN-doped SnO2 thin films by e-beam evaporation and their applications in p-n junction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Shuliang; Zhou, Yawei; Xu, Wenwu; Mao, Wenfeng; Wang, Lingtao; Liu, Yong; He, Chunqing

    2018-01-01

    Various transparent GaN-doped SnO2 thin films were deposited on glass substrates by e-beam evaporation using GaN:SnO2 targets of different GaN weight ratios. It is interesting to find that carrier polarity of the thin films was converted from n-type to p-type with increasing GaN ratio higher than 15 wt.%. The n-p transition in GaN-doped SnO2 thin films was explained for the formation of GaSn and NO with increasing GaN doping level in the films, which was identified by Hall measurement and XPS analysis. A transparent thin film p-n junction was successfully fabricated by depositing p-type GaN:SnO2 thin film on SnO2 thin film, and a low leakage current (6.2 × 10-5 A at -4 V) and a low turn-on voltage of 1.69 V were obtained for the p-n junction.

  8. Highly sensitive formaldehyde resistive sensor based on a single Er-doped SnO_2 nanobelt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Shuanghui; Liu, Yingkai; Wu, Yuemei; Chen, Weiwu; Qin, Zhaojun; Gong, Nailiang; Yu, Dapeng

    2016-01-01

    SnO_2 nanobelts (SnO_2 NBs) and Er"3"+-doped SnO_2 nanobelts (Er–SnO_2 NBs) were synthesized by thermal evaporation. The obtained samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersion spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). It is found that Er–SnO_2 NBs have a good morphology with smooth surface and their thickness are about 30 nm, widths between 200 nm and 600 nm, and lengths 30–80 mm. The nanobelts with good morphology were taken to develop sensors based on a single Er–SnO_2 NB/SnO_2 NB for studying sensitive properties. The results reveal that the response of a single Er–SnO_2 nanobelt device is 9 to the formaldehyde gas with a shorter response (recovery time) of 17 (25) s.

  9. The effect of electron and hole doping on the thermoelectric properties of shandite-type Co3Sn2S2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangelis, Panagiotis; Vaqueiro, Paz; Jumas, Jean-Claude; da Silva, Ivan; Smith, Ronald I.; Powell, Anthony V.

    2017-07-01

    Electron and hole doping in Co3Sn2S2, through chemical substitution of cobalt by the neighbouring elements, nickel and iron, affects both the structure and thermoelectric properties. Electron doping to form Co3-xNixSn2S2 (0≤x≤3) results in an expansion of the kagome layer and materials become increasingly metallic as cobalt is substituted. Conversely, hole doping in Co3-xFexSn2S2 (0≤x≤0.6) leads to a transition from metallic to n-type semiconducting behaviour at x=0.5. Iron substitution induces a small increase in the separation between the kagome layers and improves the thermoelectric performance. Neutron diffraction data reveal that substitution occurs at the Co 9(d) site in a disordered fashion. Mössbauer spectroscopy reveals two iron environments with very different isomer shifts, which may be indicative of a mixed-valence state, while Sn exhibits an oxidation state close to zero in both series. Co2.6Fe0.4Sn2S2 exhibits a maximum figure-of-merit, ZT=0.2 at 523 K while Co2.4Fe0.6Sn2S2 reaches a power factor of 10.3 μW cm-1 K-2 close to room temperature.

  10. High-temperature thermoelectric properties of La-doped BaSnO3 ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasukawa, Masahiro; Kono, Toshio; Ueda, Kazushige; Yanagi, Hiroshi; Hosono, Hideo

    2010-01-01

    To elucidate the thermoelectric properties at high temperatures, perovskite-type La-doped BaSnO 3 ceramics were fabricated by a polymerized complex (PC) method and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. Fine powders of Ba 1-x La x SnO 3 (x = 0.00-0.07) were prepared by the PC method using citrate complexes, and SPS treatment converted the powders into dense ceramics with relative densities of 93-97%. The La content dependence of the lattice parameter suggested that the solubility of La for Ba sites was approximately x = 0.03. The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity σ and Seebeck coefficient S showed that each La-doped ceramic was an n-type degenerate semiconductor in the measured temperature range of 373-1073 K. The La content dependence of the S values indicated that the electron carrier concentration increased successively up to x = 0.03, which was the solubility limit of the La atoms. The thermoelectric power factors S 2 σ increased drastically with La doping, and reached a maximum for x = 0.01 with values of 0.8 x 10 -4 W m -1 K -2 at 373 K to 2.8 x 10 -4 W m -1 K -2 at 1073 K.

  11. Reactive magnetron sputtering of N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass for transmission photocathode applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balalykin, N. I.; Huran, J.; Nozdrin, M. A.; Feshchenko, A. A.; Kobzev, A. P.; Sasinková, V.; Boháček, P.; Arbet, J.

    2018-03-01

    N-doped carbon thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate and quartz glass by RF reactive magnetron sputtering using a carbon target and an Ar+N2 gas mixture. During the magnetron sputtering, the substrate holder temperatures was kept at 800 °C. The carbon film thickness on the silicon substrate was about 70 nm, while on the quartz glass it was in the range 15 nm – 60 nm. The elemental concentration in the films was determined by RBS and ERD. Raman spectroscopy was used to evaluate the intensity ratios I D/I G of the D and G peaks of the carbon films. The transmission photocathodes prepared were placed in the hollow-cathode assembly of a Pierce-structure DC gun to produce photoelectrons. The quantum efficiency (QE) was calculated from the laser energy and cathode charge measured. The properties of the transmission photocathodes based on semitransparent N-doped carbon thin films on quartz glass and their potential for application in DC gun technology are discussed.

  12. Synthesis and characterization of SnO2 doped with fluorine by the technique of polymeric precursors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira, Gilberto J.; Lopes, Rafael Ialago

    2016-01-01

    The present work deals with the synthesis of tin dioxide powders doped with fluorine and chlorine anions to evaluate the influence of these on the physico-chemical properties of SnO2, as well as to verify if the dopant does not make a solid solution with the material and its possible use as sintering additive. The samples were synthesized by Pechini method (polymer precursors) with tin oxalate as a source not contaminated with chlorine of this metal. Specific surface area characterization (BET method) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) show that doping reduces the particle size of SnO2, being more effective at lower dopant levels. The dilatometry of the doped powders shows a reduction in the beginning and end temperatures of the sintering of the tin dioxide when compared with values in the literature

  13. Effect of Sn doping on the room temperature magnetodielectric properties of yttrium iron garnet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Zhizhi; Chen, Fu; Li, Junnan; Feng, Zekun; Nie, Yan, E-mail: nieyan@hust.edu.cn [School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China)

    2015-10-21

    The structures, magnetic properties, permittivity spectra, and magnetodielectric (MD) effects of polycrystalline Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 5−x}Sn{sub x}O{sub 12} compounds prepared by solid state reactions were systematically investigated. The substitution of Sn{sup 4+} leads to lattice expansion and the donation of excess electrons in ceramics, which affects the concentration of Fe{sup 2+}, space charge, and electric dipole. As a result, as the amount of Sn dopant increases, so does saturation magnetization and permittivity in the low frequency band. The MD coefficient ([ε{sub r}(H) − ε{sub r}(0)]/ε{sub r}(0)) of lightly doped samples (x ≤ 0.05) is negative in the entire frequency band, reaching −2.3% at 350 MHz and 0.6 T for Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 4.95}Sn{sub 0.05}O{sub 12} ceramics. The MD coefficient of heavily doped samples (x > 0.05) is positive in the low frequency band, reaching 0.83% at 10 MHz and 0.6 T for Y{sub 3}Fe{sub 4.925}Sn{sub 0.075}O{sub 12} ceramics, and then decreasing with the increasing frequency, gradually becoming negative in the high frequency band. A detailed explanation is provided based on the origin of permittivity. This study provides a new methodology according to which the MD materials may be designed in order to satisfy the requirements of engineering applications.

  14. Thermoelectric study of Ag doped SnSe-Sb2Se3 based alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Anish; Talukdar, M.; Kumar, Aparabal; Sarkar, Kalyan Jyoti; Dhama, P.; Banerji, P.

    2018-05-01

    In this article we have synthesized p-type alloy of SnSe and Sb2Se3 (10 atomic %) to study the thermoelectric transport properties. The alloy was prepared by melt grown technique followed by spark plasma sintering and latter doped with 2 atomic % Ag to compensate the carrier density in order to achieve higher electrical conductivity (σ). Out of these, the doped sample resulted in the maximum figure of merit, ZT˜0.7 at 773 K due to the existence of the secondary phase AgSbSe2 and reduced lattice thermal conductivity (0.61 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K). The fitted lattice thermal conductivity shows that point defect and Umklapp scattering are the primary process of phonon scattering for all the samples whereas the fitted mobility data confirms acoustic phonon scattering along with point defect and grain boundary scattering to be the main carrier scattering mechanism. More over room temperature carrier density and electrical conductivity are found to increase for the doped sample which further corroborate (90%)SnSe-(10%)Sb2Se3:2%Ag to be a potential candidate for highly efficient thermoelectric materials.

  15. Nanocrystalline Cobalt-doped SnO2 Thin Film: A Sensitive Cigarette Smoke Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patil Shriram B.

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available This article discusses a sensitive cigarette smoke sensor based on Cobalt doped Tin oxide (Co-SnO2 thin films deposited on glass substrate by a conventional Spray Pyrolysis technique. The Co-SnO2 thin films have been characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX. The XRD spectrum shows polycrystalline nature of the film with a mixed phase comprising of SnO2 and Co3O4. The SEM image depicts uniform granular morphology covering total substrate surface. The compositional analysis derived using EDAX confirmed presence of Co in addition to Sn and O in the film. Cigarette smoke sensing characteristics of the Co-SnO2 thin film have been studied under atmospheric condition at different temperatures and smoke concentration levels. The sensing parameters such as sensitivity, response time and recovery time are observed to be temperature dependent, exhibiting better results at 330 oC.

  16. Chromium doped TiO2 sputtered thin films synthesis, physical investigations and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Hajjaji, Anouar; Gaidi, Mounir; Bessais, Brahim; El Khakani, My Ali

    2014-01-01

    This book presents co-sputtered processes ways to produce chrome doped TiO2 thin films onto various substrates such as quartz, silicon and porous silicon. Emphasis is given on the link between the experimental preparation and physical characterization in terms of Cr content. Moreover, the structural, optical and optoelectronic investigations are emphasized throughout. The book explores the potencial applications of devices based on Cr doped TiO2 thin films as gas sensors and in photocatalysis and in the photovoltaic industry. Also, this book provides extensive leads into research literature, and each chapter contains details which aim to develop awareness of the subject and the methods used. The content presented here will be useful for graduate students as well as researchers in materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering.

  17. Study of the oxygen and substrate bias effects on the defect structure of reactive sputter-deposited SnOx films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Misheva, M.; Nancheva, N.; Docheva, P.; Hadjijska, P.; Djourelov, N.; Elenkov, D.

    1999-01-01

    The effects of oxygen and substrate bias on the defect structure of reactive sputter-deposited SnOx films were investigated. Samples were analysed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), transmission electron diffraction (TED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The oxygen played an important role in the film growth and surface morphology. TEM, TED and XRD showed that increasing of the oxygen partial pressure leads to the formation of films with different crystal phases. The void sizes also depended on oxygen partial pressure. The positron lifetimes and their relative intensities depended on the void concentration, the partial annealing of the vacancies and oxidation of SnO to SnOx. This investigation also showed that the mechanical strength of the films obtained at negative substrate bias is higher and the concentration of vacancy defects is smaller, than in the films, prepared without substrate bias. (author)

  18. An investigation of the Nb doping effect on structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties of spray deposited F doped SnO2 films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turgut, G.; Keskenler, E. F.; Aydın, S.; Yılmaz, M.; Doǧan, S.; Düzgün, B.

    2013-03-01

    F and Nb + F co-doped SnO2 thin films were deposited on glass substrates by the spray pyrolysis method. The microstructural, morphological, electrical and optical properties of the 10 wt% F doped SnO2 (FTO) thin films were investigated specifically for niobium (Nb) doping in the range of 0-4 at.% with 1 at.% steps. As shown by the x-ray diffraction patterns, the films exhibited a tetragonal cassiterite structure with (200) preferential orientation. It was observed that grain sizes of the films for (200) and (301) peaks depended on the Nb doping concentration and varied in the range of 25.11-32.19 and 100.6-183.7 nm, respectively. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed that the FTO films were made of small pyramidal grains, while doubly doped films were made of small pyramidal grains and big polyhedron grains. From electrical studies, although 1 at.% Nb doped FTO films have the lowest sheet resistance and resistivity values, the highest figure-of-merit and optical band gap values obtained for FTO films were 16.2 × 10-2 Ω-1 and 4.21 eV, respectively. Also, infrared reflectivity values of the films were in the range of 97.39-98.98%. These results strongly suggest that these films are an attractive candidate for various optoelectronic applications and for photothermal conversion of solar energy.

  19. Iron doped SnO{sub 2}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocomposites synthesized by sol-gel and precipitation method for metronidazole antibiotic degradation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Agarwal, Shilpi [Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg (South Africa); Tyagi, Inderjeet [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, 247667 (India); Gupta, Vinod Kumar, E-mail: vinodg@uj.ac.za [Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg (South Africa); Sohrabi, Maryam; Mohammadi, Sanaz [Department of Chemistry, Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Golikand, Ahmad Nozad, E-mail: anozad@aeoi.org.ir [Department of Chemistry, Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jaber Research Laboratory, NSTRI, P.O. Box: 14395-836, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Fakhri, Ali, E-mail: ali.fakhri88@yahoo.com [Young Researchers and Elites Club, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-01-01

    Sol-gel and precipitation reaction methods were used to synthesize Un-doped and Fe-doped SnO{sub 2}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocomposites under UV light; the synthesized nanocomposites were applied for the photocatalytic degradation of metronidazole antibiotic. The developed photo catalyst was well characterized using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV–Visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Effective parameters such as pH, photocatalyst dose and contact time was optimized and well investigated. From the obtained facts it is clear that the 98.3% of MTZ was degraded with in 15 min, pH 6 and 0.1 g catalyst when the Fe molar ratio was 1:1 at %. As compared to results obtained from un-doped SnO{sub 2}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocomposites Fe doped SnO{sub 2}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocomposites possess greater photocatalytic efficiency. - Graphical abstract: Surface textural and morphological presentation. - Highlights: • Un-doped and Fe-doped SnO{sub 2}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanocomposites were applied as photocatalyst. • The nanocomposites exhibited photocatalytic property under UV light. • The maximum degradation was observed for Fe-doped SnO{sub 2}/Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} (1:1) photocatalyst. • 0.1 g photocatalyst is sufficient to carry out 98.3% degradation of MTZ.

  20. Binding SnO2 nanocrystals in nitrogen-doped graphene sheets as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xiaosi; Wan, Li-Jun; Guo, Yu-Guo

    2013-04-18

    Hybrid anode materials for Li-ion batteries are fabricated by binding SnO2 nanocrystals (NCs) in nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-RGO) sheets by means of an in situ hydrazine monohydrate vapor reduction method. The SnO2NCs in the obtained SnO2NC@N-RGO hybrid material exhibit exceptionally high specific capacity and high rate capability. Bonds formed between graphene and SnO2 nanocrystals limit the aggregation of in situ formed Sn nanoparticles, leading to a stable hybrid anode material with long cycle life. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Combinatorial development of Cu2SnS3 as an earth abundant photovoltaic absorber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranowski, Lauryn L.

    changes in doping in sputtered cubic Cu2SnS3 thin films using combinatorial experiments and first-principles theory. High S chemical potential during deposition decreases the enthalpy of formation of Cu vacancies, which are the dominant acceptor defect in Cu2SnS3. Unexpectedly, under Cu-rich conditions, alloying with an isostructural (cubic) metallic Cu3SnS4 phase occurs, causing high levels of p-type doping. Both of these effects lead to undesirably high electrical conductivity, thus Cu2SnS 3 films must be grown both S- and Cu-poor in order to achieve moderate hole concentrations. To understand the effects of structural disorder on the transport properties in Cu2SnS3 we develop synthetic techniques to control this disorder, and observe improvements in the majority carrier (hole) transport. However, when the minority carrier (electron) transport was investigated, minimal differences were observed between the ordered and disordered Cu 2SnS3. By combining these results with first-principles and Monte Carlo theoretical calculations, we are able to conclude that even ostensibly "ordered" Cu2SnS3 displays minority carrier transport properties corresponding to the disordered structure. The presence of extended planar defects in all samples, observed in TEM imaging, suggests that disorder is present even when it is not detectable using traditional structural characterization methods. Lastly, we attempt to integrate our Cu2SnS3 films into photovoltaic devices, which requires translating our growth techniques to conductive substrates. We survey a wide range of possible conductive substrates, but are not able to find a suitable back contact for Cu2SnS 3 device integration, due to issues such as secondary phase formation and delamination. From a survey of successful Cu2SnS3 device literature, we are able to conclude that the issue may lie with our binary sputtering method in which the ternary compound formation and the film growth occur simultaneously. At the conclusion of this

  2. Effect of sputtering power on structure, adhesion strength and corrosion resistance of nitrogen doped diamond-like carbon thin films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khun, N W; Liu, E

    2011-06-01

    Nitrogen doped diamond-like carbon (DLC:N) thin films were deposited on highly conductive p-Si substrates using a DC magnetron sputtering deposition system. The DLC:N films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurement and micro-scratch test. The XPS and Raman results indicated that the sputtering power significantly influenced the properties of the films in terms of bonding configuration in the films. The corrosion performance of the DLC:N films was investigated in a 0.6 M NaCl solution by means of potentiodynamic polarization testing. It was found that the corrosion performance of the films could be enhanced by higher sputtering powers.

  3. Unexpected Au Alloying in Tailoring In-Doped SnTe Nanostructures with Gold Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Atherton

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Materials with strong spin-orbit interaction and superconductivity are candidates for topological superconductors that may host Majorana fermions (MFs at the edges/surfaces/vortex cores. Bulk-superconducting carrier-doped topological crystalline insulator, indium-doped tin telluride (In-SnTe is one of the promising materials. Robust superconductivity of In-SnTe nanostructures has been demonstrated recently. Intriguingly, not only 3-dimensional (3D nanostructures but also ultra-thin quasi-2D and quasi-1D systems can be grown by the vapor transport method. In particular, nanostructures with a controlled dimension will give us a chance to understand the dimensionality and the quantum confinement effects on the superconductivity of the In-SnTe and may help us work on braiding MFs in various dimensional systems for future topological quantum computation technology. With this in mind, we employed gold nanoparticles (GNPs with well-identified sizes to tailor In-SnTe nanostructures grown by vapor transport. However, we could not see clear evidence that the presence of the GNPs is necessary or sufficient to control the size of the nanostructures. Nevertheless, it should be noted that a weak correlation between the diameter of GNPs and the dimensions of the smallest nanostructures has been found so far. To our surprise, the ones grown under the vapor–liquid–solid mechanism, with the use of the GNPs, contained gold that is widely and inhomogeneously distributed over the whole body.

  4. Growth of SnO2 Nanoflowers on N-doped Carbon Nanofibers as Anode for Li- and Na-ion Batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Jiaojiao; Yuan, Chaochun; Li, Huanhuan; Fan, Kai; Wei, Zengxi; Sun, Hanqi; Ma, Jianmin

    2018-06-01

    It is urgent to solve the problems of the dramatic volume expansion and pulverization of SnO2 anodes during cycling process in battery systems. To address this issue, we design a hybrid structure of N-doped carbon fibers@SnO2 nanoflowers (NC@SnO2) to overcome it in this work. The hybrid NC@SnO2 is synthesized through the hydrothermal growth of SnO2 nanoflowers on the surface of N-doped carbon fibers obtained by electrospinning. The NC is introduced not only to provide a support framework in guiding the growth of the SnO2 nanoflowers and prevent the flower-like structures from agglomeration, but also serve as a conductive network to accelerate electronic transmission along one-dimensional structure effectively. When the hybrid NC@SnO2 was served as anode, it exhibits a high discharge capacity of 750 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 100 cycles in Li-ion battery and 270 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 for 100 cycles in Na-ion battery, respectively.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  5. Effects of Sb-doping on the grain growth of Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin films fabricated by means of single-target sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Shu; Wu, Lu; Yue, Ruoyu; Yan, Zongkai; Zhan, Haoran; Xiang, Yong

    2013-01-01

    To investigate the effects of Sb doping on the kinetics of grain growth in Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin films during annealing, CIGS thin films were sputtered onto Mo coated substrates from a single CIGS alloy target, followed by chemical bath deposition of Sb 2 S 3 thin layers on top of CIGS layers and subsequent annealing at different temperatures for 30 min in Se vapors. X-ray diffraction results showed that CIGS thin films were obtained directly using the single-target sputtering method. After annealing, the In/Ga ratio in Sb-doped CIGS thin films remained stable compared to undoped film, possibly because Sb can promote the incorporation of Ga into CIGS. The grain growth in CIGS thin films was enhanced after Sb doping, exhibiting significantly larger grains after annealing at 400 °C or 450 °C compared to films without Sb. In particular, the effect was strikingly significant in grain growth across the film thickness, resulting in columnar grain structure in Sb-doped films. This grain growth improvement may be led by the diffusion of Sb from the front surface to the CIGS-Mo back interface, which promoted the mass transport process in CIGS thin films. - Highlights: ► Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin films made by sputtering from a single CIGS target. ► Chemical bath deposition used to introduce antimony into CIGS absorber layers. ► In/Ga ratio decreases in Sb-doped annealed films, comparatively to undoped films. ► Sb-doped CIGS films are superior to undoped films in terms of grain-growth kinetics

  6. Synthesis, structural and luminescence properties of Bi3+ co-doped Y2Sn2O7:Tb nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nigam, S.; Sudarsan, V.; Vatsa, R.K.

    2010-01-01

    Full text: In recent years, advanced materials derived from Pyrochlore-type oxides (A 2 B 2 O 7 ) have been of extensive scientific and technological interest. Chemical substitution of A or B sites of pyrochlore oxide by rare earth ions is a widely used approach to prepare thermally stable, lanthanide ion doped luminescent materials. Due to the higher symmetry around the A and B sites in the lattice lanthanide ions like Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ when incorporated at the A or B sites give very poor luminescence. This problem can be avoided by incorporating other ions like Bi 3+ in the lattice so that the lattice gets distorted and luminescent intensity from the lanthanide ions increases. The present study deals with the synthesis and characterization of Bi 3+ co-doped Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 :Tb nanoparticles. For the preparation of Tb 3+ and Bi 3+ doped Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 nano-materials, Sn metal, Bi(NO 3 ) 3 , Tb 4 O 7 , Y 2 CO 3 , were used as starting materials. The solution containing Y 3+ , Sn 4+ ,and Bi 3+ -Tb 3+ in ethylene glycol medium was slowly heated up to 120 deg C and then subjected to urea hydrolysis. The obtained precipitate after washing was heated to 700 deg C. As prepared samples are amorphous in nature and 700 deg C heated sample showed well crystalline pyrochlore structure as revealed by the XRD studies. Average particles size is calculated from the width of the X-ray diffraction peaks and found to be ∼ 5 nm. TEM images of the nanoparticles obtained at 700 deg C shows very fine spherical particles having a diameter in the range of 2-5 nm. Luminescence measurements were carried out for as prepared and 700 deg C heated samples of 2.5%Tb doped Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 nanoparticles. Green emission characteristic 5 D 4 7 F 5 transition of Tb 3+ has been observed from as prepared sample but on heating to 700 deg C the emission characteristic of Tb 3+ ions got completely removed . However, there is a significant improvement in Tb 3+ emission from 2.5% Bi 3+ co-doped Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 :Tb 3

  7. Electrical and optical properties of reactive dc magnetron sputtered silver-doped indium oxide thin films: role of oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subrahmanyam, A.; Barik, U.K.

    2006-01-01

    Silver-doped indium oxide thin films have been prepared on glass and quartz substrates at room temperature (300 K) by a reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target of pure indium and silver (80:20 at. %). During sputtering, the oxygen flow rates are varied in the range 0.00-2.86 sccm keeping the magnetron power constant at 40 W. The resistivity of these films is in the range 10 0 -10 -3 Ωcm and they show a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity. The films exhibit p-type conductivity at an oxygen flow rate of 1.71 sccm. The work function of these silver-indium oxide films has been measured by a Kelvin probe technique. The refractive index of the films (at 632.8 nm) varies in the range 1.13-1.20. Silver doping in indium oxide narrows the band gap of indium oxide (3.75 eV). (orig.)

  8. Electrical and optical properties of reactive dc magnetron sputtered silver-doped indium oxide thin films: role of oxygen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Subrahmanyam, A; Barik, U K [Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Semiconductor Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Chennai (India)

    2006-07-15

    Silver-doped indium oxide thin films have been prepared on glass and quartz substrates at room temperature (300 K) by a reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target of pure indium and silver (80:20 at. %). During sputtering, the oxygen flow rates are varied in the range 0.00-2.86 sccm keeping the magnetron power constant at 40 W. The resistivity of these films is in the range 10{sup 0}-10{sup -3} {omega}cm and they show a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity. The films exhibit p-type conductivity at an oxygen flow rate of 1.71 sccm. The work function of these silver-indium oxide films has been measured by a Kelvin probe technique. The refractive index of the films (at 632.8 nm) varies in the range 1.13-1.20. Silver doping in indium oxide narrows the band gap of indium oxide (3.75 eV). (orig.)

  9. Studies on the electrical properties of reactive DC magnetron-sputtered indium-doped silver oxide thin films: The role of oxygen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Subrahmanyam, A [Semiconductor Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Barik, Ullash Kumar [Semiconductor Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

    2007-03-15

    Indium ({approx}10 at.%)-doped silver oxide (AIO) thin films have been prepared on glass substrates at room temperature (300 K) by reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target made of pure (99.99%) silver and indium (90:10 at.%) metals. The oxygen flow rates have been varied in the range 0.00-3.44 sccm during sputtering. The X-ray diffraction data on these indium-doped silver oxide films show polycrystalline nature. With increasing oxygen flow rate, the carrier concentration, the Hall mobility and the electron mean free path decrease. These films show a very low positive temperature coefficient of resistivity {approx}3.40x10{sup -8} ohm-cm/K. The work function values for these films (measured by Kelvin probe technique) are in the range 4.81-5.07 eV. The high electrical resistivity indicate that the films are in the island state (size effects). Calculations of the partial ionic charge (by Sanderson's theory) show that indium doping in silver oxide thin films enhance the ionicity.

  10. Studies on the electrical properties of reactive DC magnetron-sputtered indium-doped silver oxide thin films: The role of oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subrahmanyam, A.; Barik, Ullash Kumar

    2007-01-01

    Indium (∼10 at.%)-doped silver oxide (AIO) thin films have been prepared on glass substrates at room temperature (300 K) by reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique using an alloy target made of pure (99.99%) silver and indium (90:10 at.%) metals. The oxygen flow rates have been varied in the range 0.00-3.44 sccm during sputtering. The X-ray diffraction data on these indium-doped silver oxide films show polycrystalline nature. With increasing oxygen flow rate, the carrier concentration, the Hall mobility and the electron mean free path decrease. These films show a very low positive temperature coefficient of resistivity ∼3.40x10 -8 ohm-cm/K. The work function values for these films (measured by Kelvin probe technique) are in the range 4.81-5.07 eV. The high electrical resistivity indicate that the films are in the island state (size effects). Calculations of the partial ionic charge (by Sanderson's theory) show that indium doping in silver oxide thin films enhance the ionicity

  11. Morphology and gas sensing properties of as-deposited and thermally treated doped thin SnO{sub x} layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Georgieva, B; Pirov, J; Podolesheva, I [Acad. J. Malinowski Central Laboratory of Photoprocesses, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl.109, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria); Nihtianova, D, E-mail: biliana@clf.bas.b [Central Laboratory of Mineralogy and Crystallography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl.107, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria)

    2010-04-01

    Thin layers intended for gas sensors are prepared by vacuum co-evaporation of TeO{sub 2} and Sn. The as-deposited layers consist of a nanosized oxide matrix and finely dispersed dopants (Te, Sn, TeO{sub 2} or SnTe, depending on the atomic ratio R{sub Sn/Te}). In order to improve the characteristics of the layers they are additionally doped with platinum. The gas sensing properties are strongly dependent on the atomic ratio R{sub Sn/Te}, as well as on the structure, composition and surface morphology. The as-deposited layers with R{sub Sn/Te} 0.8 are highly sensitive humidity sensors working at room temperature. Thermally treated Pt-doped layers with R{sub Sn/Te} 2.3 are promising as ethanol sensors. With the aim of obtaining more detailed knowledge about the surface morphology, structure and composition of layers sensitive to different environments, various techniques -TEM, SAED, SEM, EDS in SEM and white light interferometry (WLI), are applied. It is shown that all layers with 1.0 > R{sub Sn/Te} > 2, as-deposited and thermally treated, exhibit a columnar structure and a very smooth surface along with the nanograined matrix. The thermal treatment causes changes in the structure and composition of the layers. The ethanol-sensitive layers consist of nanosized polycrystalline phases of SnO{sub 2}, Sn{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Sn{sub 3}O{sub 4} and TeO{sub 2}. This knowledge could help us understand better the behaviour and govern the characteristics of layers obtained by co-evaporation of Sn and TeO{sub 2}.

  12. Bi-Sn alloy catalyst for simultaneous morphology and doping control of silicon nanowires in radial junction solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Zhongwei; Lu, Jiawen; Qian, Shengyi; Xu, Jun; Xu, Ling; Wang, Junzhuan; Shi, Yi; Chen, Kunji; Misra, Soumyadeep; Roca i Cabarrocas, Pere; Yu, Linwei

    2015-01-01

    Low-melting point metals such as bismuth (Bi) and tin (Sn) are ideal choices for mediating a low temperature growth of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) for radial junction thin film solar cells. The incorporation of Bi catalyst atoms leads to sufficient n-type doping in the SiNWs core that exempts the use of hazardous dopant gases, while an easy morphology control with pure Bi catalyst has never been demonstrated so far. We here propose a Bi-Sn alloy catalyst strategy to achieve both a beneficial catalyst-doping and an ideal SiNW morphology control. In addition to a potential of further growth temperature reduction, we show that the alloy catalyst can remain quite stable during a vapor-liquid-solid growth, while providing still sufficient n-type catalyst-doping to the SiNWs. Radial junction solar cells constructed over the alloy-catalyzed SiNWs have demonstrated a strongly enhanced photocurrent generation, thanks to optimized nanowire morphology, and largely improved performance compared to the reference samples based on the pure Bi or Sn-catalyzed SiNWs

  13. Effect of doping (C or N) and co-doping (C+N) on the photoactive properties of magnetron sputtered titania coatings for the application of solar water-splitting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, M; Dang, B H Q; McDonnell, K; MacElroy, J M D; Dowling, D P

    2012-06-01

    The photocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen using a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell containing titanium dioxide (TiO2) photoanode is a potentially renewable source of chemical fuels. However, the size of the band gap (-3.2 eV) of the TiO2 photocatalyst leads to its relatively low photoactivity toward visible light in a PEC cell. The development of materials with smaller band gaps of approximately 2.4 eV is therefore necessary to operate PEC cells efficiently. This study investigates the effect of dopant (C or N) and co-dopant (C+N) on the physical, structural and photoactivity of TiO2 nano thick coating. TiO2 nano-thick coatings were deposited using a closed field DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique, from titanium target in argon plasma with trace addition of oxygen. In order to study the influence of doping such as C, N and C+N inclusions in the TiO2 coatings, trace levels of CO2 or N2 or CO2+N2 gas were introduced into the deposition chamber respectively. The properties of the deposited nano-coatings were determined using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, SEM, AFM, Optical profilometry, XPS, Raman, X-ray diffraction UV-Vis spectroscopy and tri-electrode potentiostat measurements. Coating growth rate, structure, surface morphology and roughness were found to be significantly influenced by the types and amount of doping. Substitutional type of doping in all doped sample were confirmed by XPS. UV-vis measurement confirmed that doping (especially for C doped sample) facilitate photoactivity of sputtered deposited titania coating toward visible light by reducing bandgap. The photocurrent density (indirect indication of water splitting performance) of the C-doped photoanode was approximately 26% higher in comparison with un-doped photoanode. However, coating doped with nitrogen (N or N+C) does not exhibit good performance in the photoelectrochemical cell due to their higher charge recombination properties.

  14. Luminescence properties of Sm{sup 3+}-doped Sr{sub 3}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} phosphor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lei Bingfu, E-mail: tleibf@jnu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Department of Chemistry and Nanochemistry Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Man Shiqing [Department of Chemistry and Nanochemistry Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Department of Electronic Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Liu Yingliang [Department of Chemistry and Nanochemistry Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Yue Song [Department of Physics, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China)

    2010-12-01

    We report on a luminescent phenomenon in Sm{sup 3+}-doped Sr{sub 3}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} afterglow phosphor. XRD, photoluminescence, afterglow emission spectra and long-lasting phosphorescence decay curve are used to characterize this phosphor. After irradiation by a 267-nm UV light for 5 min, the Sm{sup 3+}-doped Sr{sub 3}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} phosphor emits intense reddish-orange emitting afterglow from the {sup 4}G{sub 5/2} to {sup 6}H{sub J} (J = 5/2, 7/2, 9/2) transitions, and its afterglow can be seen with the naked eye in the dark clearly for more than 1 h after removal of the excitation source. Photoluminescence spectra reveal that the reddish-orange light-emitting long-lasting phosphorescence originate from the mixture of Sm{sup 3+} characteristic transitions. The afterglow decay curve of the Sm{sup 3+}-doped Sr{sub 3}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} phosphor contains a fast decay component and another slow decay one. The possible mechanism of this reddish-orange light-emitting LLP phosphor is also discussed based on the experiment results.

  15. Luminescence studies on Sb3+ co-doped Y2Sn2O7: Tb nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nigam, Sandeep; Sudarsan, V.; Vatsa, R.K.

    2008-01-01

    Pyrochlore-type oxides (A 2 B 2 O 7 ) have emerged as important host matrices for lanthanide doped luminescent materials due to their good thermal stability. Due to the higher symmetry around the A and B cations in the lattice lanthanide ions like Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ when incorporated at the A or B sites give very poor luminescence. One way to circumvent this problem is to incorporate ions like Sb 3+ or Bi 3+ in the lattice so that the lattice get distorted and luminescent intensity from the lanthanide ions increases. The present study deals with the synthesis and characterisation of Sb 3+ co-doped Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 :Tb nanoparticles prepared by the hydrolysis of Y 3+ , Sn 4+ , Tb 3+ and Sb 3+ in ethylene glycol medium followed by heating at 700 deg C for 4 hours. From XRD studies it is confirmed that as prepared sample is amorphous and heat treatment at 700 deg C results in the formation of highly crystalline Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 phase having pyrochlore structure

  16. Cu2SixSn1-xS3 Thin Films Prepared by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering For Low-Cost Thin Film Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Chang; Liu, Fang-Yang; Lai, Yan-Qing; Li, Jie; Liu, Ye-Xiang

    2011-10-01

    We report the preparation of Cu2SixSn1-xS3 thin films for thin film solar cell absorbers using the reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique. Energy dispersive spectrometer and x-ray diffraction analyses indicate that Cu2Si1-xSnxS3 thin films can be synthesized successfully by partly substituting Si atoms for Sn atoms in the Cu2SnS3 lattice, leading to a shrinkage of the lattice, and, accordingly, by 2θ shifting to larger values. The blue shift of the Raman peak further confirms the formation of Cu2SixSn1-xS3. Environmental scanning electron microscope analyses reveal a polycrystalline and homogeneous morphology with a grain size of about 200-300 nm. Optical measurements indicate an optical absorption coefficient of higher than 104 cm-1 and an optical bandgap of 1.17±0.01 eV.

  17. Sn-doped ZnO nanopetal networks for efficient photocatalytic degradation of dye and gas sensing applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhatia, Sonik, E-mail: sonikbhatia@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Vidyalaya Marg, Jalandhar, 144004 (India); Verma, Neha [Department of Physics, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Vidyalaya Marg, Jalandhar, 144004 (India); Bedi, R.K. [Satyam Institute of Engineering and Technology, Amritsar, 143107, Punjab (India)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • Tin doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by simple combustion method and doctor blade technique. • Different concentrations of Sn (0.5 at. wt%, 1.0 at. wt%, 2.0 at. wt%, 3.0 at. wt%) were used as dopants. • 2.0% of Sn-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibiting complete photodegradation of DR-31 dye under UV irradiation. Photocatalytic activities for all the samples were observed in 60 min. • The sensing performance showed 5% volume of ethanol and acetone and gases could be detected with sensitivity of 86.80% and 84.40% respectively. - Abstract: Nowadays, tremendous increase in environmental issue is an alarming threat to the ecosystem. This paper reports, rapid synthesis and characterization for tin doped ZnO nanoparticles prepared by simple combustion method and doctor blade technique. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by several techniques in terms of their morphological, structural, compositional, optical, photocatalytic and gas sensing properties. These detailed characterization confirmed that all the synthesized nanoparticles are well crystalline and having good optoelectronic properties. Herein, different concentrations of Sn (0.5 at. wt%, 1.0 at. wt%, 2.0 at. wt%, 3.0 at. wt%) were used as dopants (SZ1–SZ4). The morphology of synthesized technique confirmed that the petal-shaped nanoparticles has high surface area and are well crystalline. In order to develop smart and functional nano-device, the prepared powder was coated on glass substrate by doctor blade technique and fabricated device was sensed for ethanol and acetone gas at different operating temperatures (300–500{sup °}C). It is noteworthy that morphology of the nanoparticles of the sensitive layer is maintained after different concentration of Sn. High sensitivity is the main cause of high surface area and tin doping. PL intensity near 598 nm of SZ3 is greater than other Sn-doped ZnO which indicates more oxygen vacancies of SZ3 is responsible for enhanced gas

  18. A comparative study of the magnetization in transition metal ion doped CeO2, TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apostolov, A. T.; Apostolova, I. N.; Wesselinowa, J. M.

    2018-05-01

    Using the microscopic s-d model taking into account anharmonic spin-phonon interactions we have studied the magnetic properties of Co and Cu ion doped CeO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles and compared them with those of SnO2. By Co-doping there is a maximum in the magnetization M(x) curve for all nanoparticles observed in the most transition metal doped ones. The s-d interaction plays an important role by the decrease of M at higher dopant concentration. We have discussed the magnetization in dependence of different model parameters. By small Cu-ion doping there are some differences. In CeO2M decreases with the Cu-concentration, whereas in TiO2 and SnO2M increases. For higher Cu dopant concentrations M(X) decreases in TiO2 nanoparticles. We obtain room temperature ferromagnetism also in Zn doped CeO2, TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles, i.e. in non-transition metal ion doped ones. The different behavior of M in Co and Cu doped nanoparticles is due to a combination effect of multivalent metal ions, oxygen vacancies, different radius of cation dopants, connection between lattice and magnetism, as well as competition between the s-d and d-d ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic interactions.

  19. Band gap narrowing and fluorescence properties of nickel doped SnO2 nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, Arham S.; Shafeeq, M. Muhamed; Singla, M.L.; Tabassum, Sartaj; Naqvi, Alim H.; Azam, Ameer

    2011-01-01

    Nickel-doped tin oxide nanoparticles (sub-5 nm size) with intense fluorescence emission behavior have been synthesized by sol-gel route. The structural and compositional analysis has been carried out by using XRD, TEM, FESEM and EDAX. The optical absorbance spectra indicate a band gap narrowing effect and it was found to increase with the increase in nickel concentration. The band gap narrowing at low dopant concentration ( 2 -SnO 2-x alloying effect and for higher doping it may be due to the formation of defect sub-bands below the conduction band.

  20. Effect of polyethylene glycol in preparation of Eu3+ doped SnO2 nanoparticles using ethylene glycol and luminescence properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, L.J.; Singh, R.K.H.; Ningthoujam, R.S.; Vatsa, R.K.

    2010-01-01

    Full text: Eu 3+ doped SnO 2 nanoparticles have been prepared by urea hydrolysis. The two different capping agents such as ethylene glycol (EG) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are used. Particles prepared in EG shows the crystalline nature while in the presence of PEG, crystallinity decreases. In TEM study of 5 at.% Eu doped SnO 2 sample prepared in presence of EG and PEG, there is a particle size distribution from 2.5 to 5.5 nm and average particle size is found to be 4 nm. In order to see the particle morphology for small particles, HRTEM images are also recorded and average crystallite region is found to be 2.7 nm. From this, we can conclude that 4 nm smaller particle has crystallite region of 2.7 nm and surface region of 1.3 nm. Thus, with decrease of particle size, the contribution of surface to bulk increases. This reflects the broad peak in XRD pattern of samples prepared in EG-PEG. The excitation spectra of SnO 2 nanoparticles (prepared in EG-PEG) doped with 2, 5 and 10 at.% Eu 3+ monitoring emission at 614 nm is shown. The excitation peaks at 250, 325 and 395 nm are observed. The peak at 250 nm is due to Eu-O charge transfer. The broad peak centered at 325 nm is due to exciton formation from SnO 2 and the last peak at 395 nm due to Eu 3+ ( 7 F 0 → 5 L 6 ). The relative peak intensity of Eu 3+ (peak at 395 nm) with respect to SnO 2 (peak at 325 nm) decreases with increase of Eu 3+ content/dopant in SnO 2 . This suggests that energy transfer from SnO 2 to Eu 3+ increases with Eu 3+ content/dopant in SnO 2 . The emission spectra of SnO 2 nanoparticles doped with 5 at.% Eu 3+ (prepared in EG-PEG) after excitation at different wavelengths (250, 300, 320, 330, 340 and 395 nm) is also shown. The main emission peaks at 425 (broad), 578 (weak), 591 (sharp) and 614 nm (sharp) are observed

  1. Epitaxial growth of Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane ZnO thin films on r-plane sapphire substrates by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Hou-Guang, E-mail: houguang@isu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan (China); Hung, Sung-Po [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan (China)

    2014-02-15

    Highlights: ► Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane ZnO layers were epitaxially grown on sapphire substrates. ► Crystallinity and electrical properties were studied upon growth condition and doping concentration. ► The out-of-plane lattice spacing of ZnO films reduces monotonically with increasing Sb doping level. ► The p-type conductivity of ZnO:Sb film is closely correlated with annealing condition and Sb doping level. -- Abstract: In this study, the epitaxial growth of Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane (112{sup ¯}0) ZnO thin films on r-plane (11{sup ¯}02) sapphire substrates was performed by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The influence of the sputter deposition conditions and Sb doping concentration on the microstructural and electrical properties of Sb-doped ZnO epitaxial films was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Hall-effect measurement. The measurement of the XRD phi-scan indicated that the epitaxial relationship between the ZnO:Sb layer and sapphire substrate was (112{sup ¯}0){sub ZnO}//(11{sup ¯}02){sub Al{sub 2O{sub 3}}} and [11{sup ¯}00]{sub ZnO}//[112{sup ¯}0]{sub Al{sub 2O{sub 3}}}. The out-of-plane a-axis lattice parameter of ZnO films was reduced monotonically with the increasing Sb doping level. The cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) observation confirmed the absence of any significant antimony oxide phase segregation across the thickness of the Sb-doped ZnO epitaxial film. However, the epitaxial quality of the films deteriorated as the level of Sb dopant increased. The electrical properties of ZnO:Sb film are closely correlated with post-annealing conditions and Sb doping concentrations.

  2. High sensitivity ethanol gas sensor based on Sn - doped ZnO under visible light irradiation at low temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Peishuo; Pan, Guofeng; Zhang, Bingqiang; Zhen, Jiali; Sun, Yicai, E-mail: pgf@hebut.edu.cn [Institute of Microelectronic, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin (China)

    2014-07-15

    Pure ZnO and 5at%, 7at%, 9at% Sn - doped ZnO materials are prepared by the chemical co - precipitation method. They were annealed by furnace at temperature range of 300 - 700ºC in air for 1h. The ZnO materials are characterized by X - ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the Sn - doped ZnO materials appear rough porous structures. The maximum sensitivity can be achieved by doping the amount of 7 at%. It has much better sensing performance towards ethanol vapor under visible light irradiation. The response and recovery time are ~1s and ~5s, respectively. The mechanism for the improvement in the sensing properties can be explained with the surface adsorption theory and the photoactivation theory. (author)

  3. Epitaxial Sb-doped SnO_2 and Sn-doped In_2O_3 transparent conducting oxide contacts on GaN-based light emitting diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsai, Min-Ying; Bierwagen, Oliver; Speck, James S.

    2016-01-01

    We demonstrate the growth of epitaxial (100)-oriented, rutile Sb-doped SnO_2 (ATO) and (111)-oriented, cubic Sn-doped In_2O_3 (ITO) transparent conducting oxide (TCO) contacts on top of an InGaN/GaN(0001) light emitting diode (LED) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). Both oxides form rotational domains. The in-plane epitaxial alignment of the two ITO(111) rotational domains to the GaN(0001) was: GaN [21-10]|| ITO_D_o_m_a_i_n_1[‐ 211]|| ITO_D_o_m_a_i_n_2[‐ 1‐12]. A growth temperature as low as 600 °C was necessary to realize a low contact resistance between ATO and the top p-GaN layer of the LED but resulted in non-optimal resistivity (3.4 × 10"− "3 Ω cm) of the ATO. The current–voltage characteristics of a processed LED, however, were comparable to that of a reference LED with a standard electron-beam evaporated ITO top contact. At short wavelengths, the optical absorption of ATO was lower than that of ITO, which is beneficial even for blue LEDs. Higher PAMBE growth temperatures resulted in lower resistive ATO but higher contact resistance to the GaN, likely by the formation of an insulating Ga_2O_3 interface layer. The ITO contact grown by PAMBE at 600 °C showed extremely low resistivity (10"−"4 Ω cm) and high crystalline and morphological quality. These proof-of-principle results may lead to the development of epitaxial TCO contacts with low resistivity, well-defined interfaces to the p-GaN to help minimize contact losses, and enable further epitaxy on top of the TCO. - Highlights: • Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of SnO_2:Sb (ATO) and In_2O_3:Sn (ITO) contacts • Working light emitting diodes processed with the ATO contact on the top p-GaN layer • Low growth temperature ensures low contact resistance (limiting interface reaction). • ITO showed significantly better structural and transport properties than ATO. • ATO showed higher optical transmission at short wavelengths than ITO.

  4. First-principles study on band structures and electrical transports of doped-SnTe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Dong

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Tin telluride is a thermoelectric material that enables the conversion of thermal energy to electricity. SnTe demonstrates a great potential for large-scale applications due to its lead-free nature and the similar crystal structure to PbTe. In this paper, the effect of dopants (i.e., Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Yb, Zn, Cd, Hg, and In on the band structures and electrical transport properties of SnTe was investigated based on the first-principles density functional theory including spin–orbit coupling. The results show that Zn and Cd have a dominant effect of band convergence, leading to power factor enhancement. Indium induces obvious resonant states, while Hg-doped SnTe exhibits a different behavior with defect states locating slightly above the Fermi level.

  5. Undoped and in-situ B doped GeSn epitaxial growth on Ge by atmospheric pressure-chemical vapor deposition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vincent, B.; Gencarelli, F.; Bender, H.

    2011-01-01

    In this letter, we propose an atmospheric pressure-chemical vapor deposition technique to grow metastable GeSn epitaxial layers on Ge. We report the growth of defect free fully strained undoped and in-situ B doped GeSn layers on Ge substrates with Sit contents up to 8%. Those metastable layers stay...

  6. Thermoelectric performance of co-doped SnTe with resonant levels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Min; Han, Yemao; Li, Laifeng, E-mail: laifengli@mail.ipc.ac.cn, E-mail: wangheng83@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Gibbs, Zachary M. [Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Wang, Heng, E-mail: laifengli@mail.ipc.ac.cn, E-mail: wangheng83@gmail.com [Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, 1200 California Blvd., Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); Snyder, G. Jeffrey [Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, 1200 California Blvd., Pasadena, California 91125 (United States); TMO University, Saint Petersburg 197101 (Russian Federation)

    2016-07-25

    Some group III elements such as Indium are known to produce the resonant impurity states in IV-VI compounds. The discovery of these impurity states has opened up new ways for engineering the thermoelectric properties of IV-VI compounds. In this work, resonant states in SnTe were studied by co-doping with both resonant (In) and extrinsic (Ag, I) dopants. A characteristic nonlinear relationship was observed between the Hall carrier concentration (n{sub H}) and extrinsic dopant concentration (N{sub I}, N{sub Ag}) in the stabilization region, where a linear increase of dopant concentration does not lead to linear response in the measured n{sub H}. Upon substituting extrinsic dopants beyond a certain amount, the n{sub H} changed proportionally with additional dopants (Ag, I) (the doping region). The Seebeck coefficients are enhanced as the resonant impurity is introduced, whereas the use of extrinsic doping only induces minor changes. Modest zT enhancements are observed at lower temperatures, which lead to an increase in the average zT values over a broad range of temperatures (300–773 K). The improved average zT obtained through co-doping indicates the promise of fine carrier density control in maximizing the favorable effect of resonant levels for thermoelectric materials.

  7. Properties of Erbium Doped Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon Layers Fabricated by Sputtering and Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Prajzler

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available We report about properties of carbon layers doped with Er3+ ions fabricated by Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (PACVD and by sputtering on silicon or glass substrates. The structure of the samples was characterized by X-ray diffraction and their composition was determined by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis. The Absorbance spectrum was taken in the spectral range from 400 nm to 600 nm. Photoluminescence spectra were obtained using two types of Ar laser (λex=514.5 nm, lex=488 nm and also using a semiconductor laser (λex=980 nm. Samples fabricated by magnetron sputtering exhibited typical emission at 1530 nm when pumped at 514.5 nm. 

  8. Effect of Si/Fe ratio on the boron and phosphorus doping efficiency of β-FeSi2 by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Jiaxiong; Yao Ruohe

    2011-01-01

    Boron-doped or phosphorus-doped β-FeSi 2 thin films have been prepared on silicon substrate by magnetron sputtering. Effects of Si/Fe ratio on the boron and phosphorus doping efficiencies have been studied from the resistivities of doped β-FeSi 2 thin films and current-voltage characteristics of doped β-FeSi 2 /Si heterojunctions. The experimental results reveal that the carrier concentration and doping efficiency of boron or phosphorus dopants at the Fe-rich side are higher than that at the Si-rich side. The effect of Si/Fe ratio can be deduced from the comparison of the formation energies under two extreme conditions. At the Fe-rich limit condition, the formation energy of boron or phosphorous doping is lower than that at the Si-rich condition. Therefore, the activation of impurities is more effective at the Fe-rich side. These results demonstrate that the boron-doped and phosphorous-doped β-FeSi 2 thin films should be kept at the Fe-rich side to avoid the unexpected doping sites and low doping efficiency.

  9. Controlling the antibacterial activity of CuSn thin films by varying the contents of Sn

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Yujin; Park, Juyun; Kim, Dong-Woo; Kim, Hakjun; Kang, Yong-Cheol, E-mail: yckang@pknu.ac.kr

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • We deposit CuSn thin films on a Si substrate with various Cu/Sn ratio. • Antibacterial activities of CuSn thin films increased as the ratio of Cu and the contact time increased. • XPS was utilized to assign the chemical environment of CuSn thin films before and after antibacterial test. - Abstract: We investigated antibacterial activity of CuSn thin films against Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). CuSn thin films with different Cu to Sn ratios were deposited on Si(100) by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method using Cu and Sn metal anodes. The film thickness was fixed at 200 nm by varying the sputtering time and RF power on the metal targets. The antibacterial test was conducted in various conditions such as different contact times and Cu to Sn ratios in the CuSn films. The antibacterial activities of CuSn thin films increased as the ratio of Cu and the contact time between the film and bacteria suspension increased execpt in the case of CuSn-83. The oxidation states of Cu and Sn and the chemical composition of CuSn thin films before and after the antibacterial test were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). When the contact time was fixed, the Cu species was further oxidized as the RF power on Cu target increased. The intensity of Sn 3d decreased with increasing Cu ratio. When the sample was fixed, the peak intensity of Sn 3d decreased as the contact time increased due to the permeation of Sn into the cell.

  10. Effect of Mn doping on the structural, magnetic, optical and electrical properties of ZrO_2–SnO_2 thin films prepared by sol–gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anitha, V.S.; Sujatha Lekshmy, S.; Joy, K.

    2016-01-01

    Manganese doped ZrO_2–SnO_2 (ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn) nanocomposite thin films were prepared using sol – gel dip coating technique. The structural, morphological, magnetic, optical and electrical properties of the films were studied for undoped and different (15 mol %) manganese doping concentrations. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) of films showed the formation of tetragonal phase of SnO_2 and orthorhombic ZrSnO_4. Decrease in crystallinity with increase of Mn concentration was observed for the films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the formation of grain growth with an increase in Mn concentration. X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of Zr"4"+, Sn"4"+ and Mn"2"+ ion in ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn films. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements reveal the presence of magnetic properties in Mn doped nanocomposite thin films. Antiferromagnetic interactions were observed for 5 mol % Mn doping. An average transmittance >80% (UV - Vis region) was observed for all the films. Band gap of the films decreased from 4.78 to 4.41 eV with increase in Mn concentration. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the films exhibited emission peaks in visible region of the electromagnetic spectra. Conductivity of the film increased up to 3 mol % Mn doping and then decreased. - Highlights: • ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn films were deposited onto quartz substrates by Sol –Gel dip coating. • Structural, magnetic, optical and electrical properties of the films were analyzed. • Optical band gap decreased with increase in manganese concentration. • Ferromagnetic behavior was observed for Mn doped films. • These ferromagnetic ZrO_2–SnO_2: Mn films find application in spintronic devices.

  11. High quality aluminium doped zinc oxide target synthesis from nanoparticulate powder and characterisation of sputtered thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isherwood, P.J.M., E-mail: P.J.M.Isherwood@lboro.ac.uk [Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Neves, N. [Innovnano, S. A., Rua Coimbra Inovação Parque, IParque Lote 13, 3040-570 Antanhol, Coimbra (Portugal); Bowers, J.W. [Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Newbatt, P. [Innovnano, S. A., Rua Coimbra Inovação Parque, IParque Lote 13, 3040-570 Antanhol, Coimbra (Portugal); Walls, J.M. [Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom)

    2014-09-01

    Nanoparticulate aluminium-doped zinc oxide powder was synthesised through detonation and subsequent rapid quenching of metallic precursors. This technique allows for precise compositional control and rapid nanoparticle production. The resulting powder was used to form sputter targets, which were used to deposit thin films by radio frequency sputtering. These films show excellent sheet resistance and transmission values for a wide range of deposition temperatures. Crystal structure analysis shows that crystals in the target have a random orientation, whereas the crystals in the films grow perpendicular to the substrate surface and propagate preferentially along the (002) axis. Higher temperature deposition reduces crystal quality with a corresponding decrease in refractive index and an increase in sheet resistance. Films deposited between room temperature and 300 °C were found to have sheet resistances equivalent to or better than indium tin oxide films for a given average transmission value. - Highlights: • Nanoparticulate AZO powder was used to produce sputter targets. • The powder synthesis technique allows for precise compositional control. • Sputtered films show excellent optical, electronic and structural properties. • High temperature films show reduced electrical and structural quality. • For a given transmission, films show equivalent sheet resistances to ITO.

  12. Evolution of ground-state wave function in CeCoIn5 upon Cd or Sn doping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, K.; Strigari, F.; Sundermann, M.; Hu, Z.; Fisk, Z.; Bauer, E. D.; Rosa, P. F. S.; Sarrao, J. L.; Thompson, J. D.; Herrero-Martin, J.; Pellegrin, E.; Betto, D.; Kummer, K.; Tanaka, A.; Wirth, S.; Severing, A.

    2018-01-01

    We present linear polarization-dependent soft-x-ray absorption spectroscopy data at the Ce M4 ,5 edges of Cd- and Sn-doped CeCoIn5. The 4 f ground-state wave functions have been determined for their superconducting, antiferromagnetic, and paramagnetic ground states. The absence of changes in the wave functions in CeCo (In1-xCdx) 5 suggests that the 4 f -conduction-electron (c f ) hybridization is not affected by global Cd doping, thus supporting the interpretation of magnetic droplets nucleating long-range magnetic order. This is contrasted by changes in the wave function due to Sn substitution. Increasing Sn in CeCo (In1-ySny) 5 compresses the 4 f orbitals into the tetragonal plane of these materials, suggesting enhanced c f hybridization with the in-plane In(1) atoms and a homogeneous altering of the electronic structure. As these experiments show, the 4 f wave functions are a very sensitive probe of small changes in the hybridization of 4 f and conduction electrons, even conveying information about direction dependencies.

  13. Preparation of MnO2 electrodes coated by Sb-doped SnO2 and their effect on electrochemical performance for supercapacitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yuqing; Mo, Yan

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Sb-doped SnO 2 coated MnO 2 electrodes (SS-MnO 2 electrodes) are prepared. • The capacitive property and stability of SS-MnO 2 electrode is superior to uncoated MnO 2 electrode and SnO 2 coated MnO 2 electrode. • Sb-doped SnO 2 coating enhances electrochemical performance of MnO 2 effectively. • SS-MnO 2 electrodes are desirable to become a novel electrode material for supercapacitor. - Abstract: To enhance the specific capacity and cycling stability of manganese binoxide (MnO 2 ) for supercapacitor, antimony (Sb) doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) is coated on MnO 2 through a sol-gel method to prepare MnO 2 electrodes, enhancing the electrochemical performance of MnO 2 electrode in sodium sulfate electrolytes. The structure and composition of SS-MnO 2 electrode are characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). The electrochemical performances are evaluated and researched by galvanostatic charge-discharge test, cyclic voltammogram (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that SS-MnO 2 electrodes hold porous structure, displaying superior cycling stability at large current work condition in charge-discharge tests and good capacity performance at high scanning rate in CV tests. The results of EIS show that SS-MnO 2 electrodes have small internal resistance. Therefore, the electrochemical performances of MnO 2 electrodes are enhanced effectively by Sb-doped SnO 2 coating

  14. Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} solar cells prepared by sulfurization of sputtered ZnS/Sn/CuS precursors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Zhi-Shan; Wang, Shu-Rong, E-mail: shrw88@aliyun.com; Jiang, Zhi; Yang, Min; Lu, Yi-Lei; Liu, Si-Jia; Zhao, Qi-Chen; Hao, Rui-Ting

    2016-12-01

    Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} (CZTS) thin films were grown on Mo-coated Soda-lime-glass (SLG) substrates by sulfurization of sputtered ZnS/Sn/CuS precursors at different temperatures i.e. 560 °C, 580 °C and 600 °C. The effects of sulfurization temperature on the quality of CZTS thin films and solar cells were investigated. The crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, phase purity and surface roughness of CZTS thin films fabricated at different sulfurization temperatures were characterized by X Ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. The results show that all CZTS thin films exhibit a polycrystalline kesterite structure and preferred (112) orientation. For the sulfurization temperature of 580 °C, the obtained CZTS thin films are dense and flat with larger grain size. Meanwhile composition studying indicates that the fabricated CZTS with single phase is copper poor and zinc rich. Furthermore, the surface roughness of CZTS film is the lowest. Finally, the CZTS solar cells with the structure of SLG/Mo/CZTS/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO/Al were fabricated and demonstrated the best power conversion efficiency of 3.59% when used sulfurization temperature was 580 °C.

  15. Ultrafast one-step combustion synthesis and thermoelectric properties of In-doped Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yuyang [Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 (China); Liu, Guanghua, E-mail: liugh02@163.com [Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 (China); Li, Jiangtao, E-mail: lijiangtao@mail.ipc.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 (China); Chen, Kexin [State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics & Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 (China); He, Gang; Yang, Zengchao; Han, Yemao; Zhou, Min; Li, Laifeng [Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 (China)

    2016-07-01

    Bulk In-doped Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3} samples were prepared by a fast and one-step method of high-gravity combustion synthesis. All the synthesized samples were dense with relative densities of >98%. The influence of Indium-doping on the phase composition of the samples was investigated. SEM and EDS measurements confirm the existence of SnSe and Cu{sub 2}Se as secondary phase in the Cu{sub 2}Sn{sub 1−x}In{sub x}Se{sub 3} samples. In addition, the experimental results show that there is a solubility limit of indium in the Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3} matrix. The thermoelectric properties of the samples were measured in a temperature range from 323 K to 773 K, and the Cu{sub 2}Sn{sub 0.8}In{sub 0.2}Se{sub 3} sample achieved a maximum ZT of 0.65 at 773 K, which was comparable with the best-reported result for Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3} materials prepared by conventional sintering approaches. With much reduced time and energy consumption, high-gravity combustion synthesis may offer a more efficient and economical way for producing thermoelectric materials. - Highlights: • Dense bulk Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3} materials are prepared by one-step combustion synthesis. • The solubility limit of Indium into the Cu{sub 2}SnSe{sub 3} matrix has been discussed. • A maximum ZT of 0.65 is obtained for the Cu{sub 2}Sn{sub 1−x}In{sub x}Se{sub 3} (x = 0.2) at 773 K.

  16. Indium oxide-based transparent conductive films deposited by reactive sputtering using alloy targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyazaki, Yusuke; Maruyama, Eri; Jia, Junjun; Machinaga, Hironobu; Shigesato, Yuzo

    2017-04-01

    High-quality transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films, Sn-doped In2O3 (ITO) and In2O3-ZnO (IZO), were successfully deposited on either synthetic silica or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates in the “transition region” by reactive dc magnetron sputtering using In-Zn and In-Sn alloy targets, respectively, with a specially designed plasma emission feedback system. The composition, crystallinity, surface morphology, and electrical and optical properties of the films were analyzed. All of the IZO films were amorphous, whereas the ITO films were polycrystalline over a wide range of deposition conditions. The minimum resistivities of the IZO and ITO films deposited on the heated PET substrates at 150 °C were 3.3 × 10-4 and 5.4 × 10-4 Ω·cm, respectively. By applying rf bias to unheated PET substrates, ITO films with a resistivity of 4.4 × 10-4 Ω·cm were deposited at a dc self-bias voltage of -60 V.

  17. SnS2 nanosheets arrays sandwiched by N-doped carbon and TiO2 for high-performance Na-ion storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weina Ren

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, SnS2 nanosheets arrays sandwiched by porous N-doped carbon and TiO2 (TiO2@SnS2@N-C on flexible carbon cloth are prepared and tested as a free-standing anode for high-performance sodium ion batteries. The as-obtained TiO2@SnS2@N-C composite delivers a remarkable capacity performance (840 mA h g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1, excellent rate capability and long-cycling life stability (293 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 600 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of each component of the unique hybrid structure, in which the SnS2 nanosheets with open framworks offer high capacity, while the porous N-doped carbon nanoplates arrays on flexible carbon cloth are able to improve the conductivity and the TiO2 passivation layer can keep the structure integrity of SnS2 nanosheets.

  18. On performance limitations and property correlations of Al-doped ZnO deposited by radio-frequency sputtering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crovetto, Andrea; Ottsen, Tobias Sand; Stamate, Eugen

    2016-01-01

    -pressure regime, we find a generalized dependence of the electrical properties, grain size, texture, and Al content on compressive stress, regardless of sputtering pressure or position on the substrate. In a high-pressure regime, a porous microstructure limits the achievable resistivity and causes it to increase......The electrical properties of RF-sputtered Al-doped ZnO are often spatially inhomogeneous and strongly dependent on deposition parameters. In this work, we study the mechanisms that limit the minimum resistivity achievable under different deposition regimes. In a low- and intermediate...... over time as well. The primary cause of inhomogeneity in the electrical properties is identified as energetic particle bombardment. Inhomogeneity in oxygen content is also observed, but its effect on the electrical properties is small and limited to the carrier mobility....

  19. Low-temperature thermoelectric properties of Pb doped Cu2SnSe3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad K, Shyam; Rao, Ashok; Gahtori, Bhasker; Bathula, Sivaiah; Dhar, Ajay; Chang, Chia-Chi; Kuo, Yung-Kang

    2017-09-01

    A series of Cu2Sn1-xPbxSe3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) compounds was prepared by solid state synthesis technique. The electrical resistivity (ρ) decreased with increase in Pb content up to x = 0.01, thereafter it increased with further increase in x (till x = 0.03). However, the lowest value of electrical resistivity is observed for Cu2Sn0.96Pb0.04Se3. Analysis of electrical resistivity of all the samples suggests that small poloron hoping model is operative in the high temperature regime while variable range hopping is effective in the low temperature regime. The positive Seebeck coefficient (S) for pristine and doped samples in the entire temperature range indicates that the majority charge carriers are holes. The electronic thermal conductivity (κe) of the Cu2Sn1-xPbxSe3 compounds was estimated by the Wiedemann-Franz law and found that the contribution from κe is less than 1% of the total thermal conductivity (κ). The highest ZT 0.013 was achieved at 400 K for the sample Cu2Sn0.98Pb0.02Se3, about 30% enhancement as compared to the pristine sample.

  20. Enhancement of the catalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles toward methanol electro-oxidation using doped-SnO2 supporting materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merati, Zohreh; Basiri Parsa, Jalal

    2018-03-01

    Catalyst supports play important role in governing overall catalyst activity and durability. In this study metal oxides (SnO2, Sb and Nb doped SnO2) were electrochemically deposited on titanium substrate (Ti) as a new support material for Pt catalyst in order to electro-oxidation of methanol. Afterward platinum nanoparticles were deposited on metal oxide film via electro reduction of platinum salt in an acidic solution. The surface morphology of modified electrodes were evaluated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques. The electro-catalytic activities of prepared electrodes for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) absorbed on Pt was considered with cyclic voltammetry. The results showed high catalytic activity for Pt/Nb-SnO2/Ti electrode. The electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of a platinum electro-catalyst was determined by hydrogen adsorption. Pt/Nb-SnO2/Ti electrode has highest ECSA compared to other electrode resulting in high activity toward methanol electro-oxidation and CO stripping experiments. The doping of SnO2 with Sb and Nb improved ECSA and MOR activity, which act as electronic donors to increase electronic conductivity.

  1. Positron annihilation study of YBa2Cu3Oy superconductors doped with SnO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, A.; Zhi, Y.; Li Biaorong; Wang Shaojie

    1992-01-01

    The positron annihilation lifetime spectra of YBa 2 Cu 3 O y superconductors doped with SnO 2 were measured. The results indicate that the tin element substitutes for Cu(1) sites. A brief discussion is given based on the experimental results. (orig.)

  2. Deposition of the low resistive ITO-films by means of reactive magnetron sputtering of the In/Sn target on the cold substrate

    OpenAIRE

    Zhidik, Y. S.; Troyan, P. E.; Baturina, E. V.; Korzhenko, Dmitry Vladimirovich; Yuriev, Yuri Nikolaevich

    2016-01-01

    Detailed information on the deposition technology of the low-resistive ITO-films in oxygen-containing media by magnetron reactive sputtering from the In(90%)/Sn(10%) target on the cold substrate is given. Developed technology allows deposition ITO-films with sheet resistance transparency higher than 90%. Developed technology is notable for high reproducibility of results and is compatible with production technology of semiconductor devices of optoelectronics.

  3. Synthesis, structural and luminescent aspect of Tb3+ doped Sr2SnO4 phosphor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taikar, Deepak R.

    2016-01-01

    A novel green emitting, Tb 3+ doped Sr 2 SnO 4 phosphor was synthesized by the co-precipitation method and its photoluminescence characterization was performed. Sr 2 SnO 4 has an ordered tetragonal K 2 NiF 4 -type structure with space group I4/mmm. The structure of Sr 2 SnO 4 consists of SnO 6 octahedra. From the structure of Sr 2 SnO 4 , it was observed that the sites of Sn 4+ ions have inverse symmetry while the Sr 2+ ions have the low symmetry. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of Sr 2 SnO 4 :Tb 3+ . Photoluminescence measurements showed that the phosphor exhibited bright green emission at about 543 nm attributed to 5 D 4 à 7 F 5 transition of Tb 3+ ion under UV excitation. The emission spectra did not exhibit conventional blue emission peaks of Tb 3+ ions due to 5 D 3 → 7 F J transitions in the spectral region 350-470 nm. The excitation spectra indicate that this compound may be useful as a lamp phosphor. (author)

  4. Synthesis, characterization and photoluminescence properties of Dy{sup 3+}-doped nano-crystalline SnO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pillai, Sreejarani K.; Sikhwivhilu, Lucky M. [National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, CSIR, PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa); Hillie, Thembela K., E-mail: thillie@csir.co.za [National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, CSIR, PO Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa); Physics Department, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300 (South Africa)

    2010-04-15

    Nano-crystalline of tin oxide doped with varying wt% of Dy{sup 3+} was prepared using chemical co-precipitation method and characterised by various advanced techniques such as BET-surface area, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. Analytical results demonstrated that the nanocrystalline tin oxide is in tetragonal crystalline phase and doping with Dy{sup 3+} could inhibit the phase transformation, increases surface area and decreases the crystallite size. The experimental result on photoluminescence characteristics originating from Dy{sup 3+}-doping in nanocrystalline SnO{sub 2} reveals the dependence of the luminescent intensity on dopant concentration.

  5. Effect of Annealing Temperature and Oxygen Flow in the Properties of Ion Beam Sputtered SnO-₂x Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chun-Min; Huang, Chun-Chieh; Kuo, Jui-Chao; Sahu, Dipti Ranjan; Huang, Jow-Lay

    2015-08-14

    Tin oxide (SnO 2-x ) thin films were prepared under various flow ratios of O₂/(O₂ + Ar) on unheated glass substrate using the ion beam sputtering (IBS) deposition technique. This work studied the effects of the flow ratio of O₂/(O₂ + Ar), chamber pressures and post-annealing treatment on the physical properties of SnO₂ thin films. It was found that annealing affects the crystal quality of the films as seen from both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. In addition, the surface RMS roughness was measured with atomic force microscopy (AFM). Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis was used to obtain the changes of elemental distribution between tin and oxygen atomic concentration. The electrical property is discussed with attention to the structure factor.

  6. Hollow Amorphous MnSnO3 Nanohybrid with Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for High-Performance Lithium Storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Peng; Hao, Qingli; Xia, Xifeng; Lei, Wu; Xia, Hui; Chen, Ziyang; Wang, Xin

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A novel hybrid of hollow amorphous MnSnO 3 nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide was fabricated. The unique structure and well-combination of both components account for the ultra long-term cyclic life with high reversible capacity of 610 mAh g −1 over 1000 cycles at 400 mA g −1 . - Highlights: • Novel hybrid of MnSnO 3 and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide was fabricated. • The MnSnO 3 nanoparticles possess amorphous and hollow structure in the composite. • The excellent electrochemical performance benefits from unique nanostructure. • The reversible capacity of as-prepared hybrid is 610 mAh g −1 after 1000 cycles. • A long-term life with 97.3% capacity retention over 1000 cycles was obtained. - Abstract: Tin-based metal oxides usually suffer from severe capacity fading resulting from aggregation and considerable volume variation during the charge/discharge process in lithium ion batteries. In this work, a novel nanocomposite (MTO/N-RGO) of hollow amorphous MnSnO 3 (MTO) nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-RGO) has been designed and synthesized by a two-step method. Firstly, the nitrogen-doped graphene nanocomposite (MTO/N-RGO-P) with MnSn(OH) 6 crystal nanoparticles was synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. Subsequently, the MTO/N-RGO nanocomposite was obtained through the post heat treatment of MTO/N-RGO-P. The designed heterostructure and well-combination of the hollow amorphous MTO and N-RGO matrix can accelerate the ionic and electronic transport, and simultaneously accommodate the aggregation and volume variation of MTO nanoparticles during the lithiation–delithiation cycles. The as-prepared hybrid of MTO and N-RGO (MTO/N-RGO) exhibits a high reversible capacity of 707 mAh g −1 after 110 cycles at 200 mA g −1 , superior rate capability, and long-term cyclic life with high capacity of 610 mAh g −1 over 1000 cycles at 400 mA g −1 . Superior capacity retention of

  7. Sputtering yields and surface chemical modification of tin-doped indium oxide in hydrocarbon-based plasma etching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Hu; Karahashi, Kazuhiro; Hamaguchi, Satoshi, E-mail: hamaguch@ppl.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Center for Atomic and Molecular Technologies, Osaka University, Yamadaoka 2-1, Suita 565-0871 (Japan); Fukasawa, Masanaga; Nagahata, Kazunori; Tatsumi, Tetsuya [Device and Material R& D Group, RDS Platform, Sony Corporation, Kanagawa 243-0014 (Japan)

    2015-11-15

    Sputtering yields and surface chemical compositions of tin-doped indium oxide (or indium tin oxide, ITO) by CH{sup +}, CH{sub 3}{sup +}, and inert-gas ion (He{sup +}, Ne{sup +}, and Ar{sup +}) incidence have been obtained experimentally with the use of a mass-selected ion beam system and in-situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It has been found that etching of ITO is chemically enhanced by energetic incidence of hydrocarbon (CH{sub x}{sup +}) ions. At high incident energy incidence, it appears that carbon of incident ions predominantly reduce indium (In) of ITO and the ITO sputtering yields by CH{sup +} and CH{sub 3}{sup +} ions are found to be essentially equal. At lower incident energy (less than 500 eV or so), however, a hydrogen effect on ITO reduction is more pronounced and the ITO surface is more reduced by CH{sub 3}{sup +} ions than CH{sup +} ions. Although the surface is covered more with metallic In by low-energy incident CH{sub 3}{sup +} ions than CH{sup +} ions and metallic In is in general less resistant against physical sputtering than its oxide, the ITO sputtering yield by incident CH{sub 3}{sup +} ions is found to be lower than that by incident CH{sup +} ions in this energy range. A postulation to account for the relation between the observed sputtering yield and reduction of the ITO surface is also presented. The results presented here offer a better understanding of elementary surface reactions observed in reactive ion etching processes of ITO by hydrocarbon plasmas.

  8. Electronic tuning of the transport properties of off-stoichiometric PbxSn1−xTe thermoelectric alloys by Bi2Te3 doping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guttmann, Gilad M.; Dadon, David; Gelbstein, Yaniv

    2015-01-01

    The recent energy demands affected by the dilution of conventional energy resources and the growing awareness of environmental considerations had motivated many researchers to seek for novel renewable energy conversion methods. Thermoelectric direct conversion of thermal into electrical energies is such a method, in which common compositions include IV-VI semiconducting compounds (e.g., PbTe and SnTe) and their alloys. For approaching practical thermoelectric devices, the current research is focused on electronic optimization of off-stoichiometric p-type Pb x Sn 1−x Te alloys by tuning of Bi 2 Te 3 doping and/or SnTe alloying levels, while avoiding the less mechanically favorable Na dopant. It was shown that upon such doping/alloying, higher ZTs, compared to those of previously reported undoped Pb 0.5 Sn 0.5 Te alloy, were obtained at temperatures lower than 210–340 °C, depending of the exact doping/alloying level. It was demonstrated that upon optimal grading of the carrier concentration, a maximal thermoelectric efficiency enhancement of ∼38%, compared to that of an undoped material, is expected

  9. Effects of tin concentrations on structural characteristics and electrooptical properties of tin-doped indium oxide films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yi, Choong-Hoon; Yasui, Itaru; Shigesato, Yuzo [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Inst. of Industrial Science

    1995-02-01

    Structural characteristics and electrooptical properties of Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} (ITO) films were investigated in terms of Sn concentrations from 5.34 to 8.99 (Sn/In at.%) with changing oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature during deposition, in spite of using an ITO target with the same Sn concentration (7.50 SnO{sub 2} wt%, 7.17 Sn/In at.%). The resistivity of the films deposited at 200 and 300degC had a clear tendency to decrease with decrease of the total Sn content. Sn atoms incorporated in the ITO films were classified into two types, i.e., electrically active substitutional Sn atoms contributing to carrier density and electrically nonactive impurities forming nonreducible tin-oxide complexes, which were revealed by precise lattice constant measurement. The change in the Sn concentration was found to be associated with the preferred orientation of the crystal grains, which was dominated by the deposition conditions and should reflect the crystal growth processes. (author).

  10. Effects of tin concentrations on structural characteristics and electrooptical properties of tin-doped indium oxide films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yi, Choong-Hoon; Yasui, Itaru; Shigesato, Yuzo

    1995-01-01

    Structural characteristics and electrooptical properties of Sn-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO) films were investigated in terms of Sn concentrations from 5.34 to 8.99 (Sn/In at.%) with changing oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature during deposition, in spite of using an ITO target with the same Sn concentration (7.50 SnO 2 wt%, 7.17 Sn/In at.%). The resistivity of the films deposited at 200 and 300degC had a clear tendency to decrease with decrease of the total Sn content. Sn atoms incorporated in the ITO films were classified into two types, i.e., electrically active substitutional Sn atoms contributing to carrier density and electrically nonactive impurities forming nonreducible tin-oxide complexes, which were revealed by precise lattice constant measurement. The change in the Sn concentration was found to be associated with the preferred orientation of the crystal grains, which was dominated by the deposition conditions and should reflect the crystal growth processes. (author)

  11. Aluminum-doped Zn O polycrystalline films prepared by co-sputtering of a Zn O-Al target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Becerril, M.; Silva L, H.; Guillen C, A.; Zelaya A, O. [Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Departamento de Fisica, Apdo. Postal 14-740, 07000 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

    2014-07-01

    Aluminum-doped Zinc oxide polycrystalline thin films (Azo) were grown on 7059 Corning glass substrates at room temperature by co-sputtering from a Zn O-Al target. The target was designed as follows, high purity elemental Aluminum was evaporated onto a Zn O target covering small areas. The structural, optical and electrical properties were analyzed as a function of Al content. The Al doped Zn O polycrystalline films showed an n-type conductivity. It was found that the electrical resistivity drops and the carrier concentration increases as a consequence of Al incorporation within the Zn O lattice. In both cases, the changes are of several orders of magnitude. From the results, we conclude that, using these Zn O-Al targets, n-type Al doped Zn O polycrystalline films with high transmittance and low resistivity can be obtained. The crystalline structure of the films was determined by X-ray diffraction. Atomic Force Microscopy images were obtained with an Auto probe C P (Veeco Metrology Group) Microscope. (Author)

  12. Hydrothermal synthesis and characteristic photoluminescence of Er-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tuan, Pham Van; Hieu, Le Trung; Nga, La Quynh [International Training Institute for Materials Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1, Dai Co Viet, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Dung, Nguyen Duc [Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1, Dai Co Viet, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Ha, Ngo Ngoc [International Training Institute for Materials Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1, Dai Co Viet, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Khiem, Tran Ngoc, E-mail: khiem@itims.edu.vn [International Training Institute for Materials Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1, Dai Co Viet, Hanoi (Viet Nam)

    2016-11-15

    We report the characteristic photoluminescence (PL) spectra of erbium ion (Er{sup 3+})-doped tin dioxide (SnO{sub 2})nanoparticles. The materials were prepared via hydrothermal method at 180 °C with in 20 h by using various Er{sup 3+} ion concentrations ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 at%. After the synthesis, the materials were characterized through X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Crystallite SnO{sub 2} and its average particle diameter of approximately 5 nm did not change with Er{sup 3+} ion dopant concentration. Photoluminescence spectra showed the characteristic light emission from the Er{sup 3+} ions. The PL excitation spectra referred to an efficient energy transfer to Er{sup 3+} ions in the presence of SnO{sub 2}nanoparticles. The most intense Er-related emission of SnO{sub 2}:Er{sup 3+} nanoparticles in near infrared region was found in samples containing an Er{sup 3+} ion concentration of 0.25 at%. Although the absorption bandgaps of the materials were identified at approximately 3.8 eV, we found that efficient excitation comes with low excitation energy band edge. Excitation is possibly involved in shallow defects in SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles.

  13. Conduction band edge effective mass of La-doped BaSnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    James Allen, S., E-mail: allen@itst.ucsb.edu; Law, Ka-Ming [Physics Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5100 (United States); Raghavan, Santosh; Schumann, Timo; Stemmer, Susanne [Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5050 (United States)

    2016-06-20

    BaSnO{sub 3} has attracted attention as a promising material for applications requiring wide band gap, high electron mobility semiconductors, and moreover possesses the same perovskite crystal structure as many functional oxides. A key parameter for these applications and for the interpretation of its properties is the conduction band effective mass. We measure the plasma frequency of La-doped BaSnO{sub 3} thin films by glancing incidence, parallel-polarized resonant reflectivity. Using the known optical dielectric constant and measured electron density, the resonant frequency determines the band edge electron mass to be 0.19 ± 0.01. The results allow for testing band structure calculations and transport models.

  14. Deposition of the low resistive ITO-films by means of reactive magnetron sputtering of the In/Sn target on the cold substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhidik, Y. S.; Troyan, P. E.; Baturina, E. V.; Korzhenko, D. V.; Yurjev, Y. N.

    2016-06-01

    Detailed information on the deposition technology of the low-resistive ITO-films in oxygen-containing media by magnetron reactive sputtering from the In(90%)/Sn(10%) target on the cold substrate is given. Developed technology allows deposition ITO-films with sheet resistance 2-3 Ω/□, transparency higher than 90%. Developed technology is notable for high reproducibility of results and is compatible with production technology of semiconductor devices of optoelectronics.

  15. Structural and physical properties of transparent conducting, amorphous Zn-doped SnO2 films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Q.; Ma, Q.; Buchholz, D. B.; Chang, R. P. H.; Bedzyk, M. J.; Mason, T. O.

    2014-01-01

    The structural and physical properties of conducting amorphous Zn-doped SnO2 (a-ZTO) films, prepared by pulsed laser deposition, were investigated as functions of oxygen deposition pressure (pO2), composition, and thermal annealing. X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that at higher pO2, the a-ZTO films are highly transparent and have a structural framework similar to that found in crystalline (c-), rutile SnO2 in which the Sn4+ ion is octahedrally coordinated by 6 O2- ions. The Sn4+ ion in these films however has a coordination number (CN) smaller by 2%-3% than that in c-SnO2, indicating the presence of oxygen vacancies, which are the likely source of charge carriers. At lower pO2, the a-ZTO films show a brownish tint and contain some 4-fold coordinated Sn2+ ions. Under no circumstances is the CN around the Zn2+ ion larger than 4, and the Zn-O bond is shorter than the Sn-O bond by 0.07 Å. The addition of Zn has no impact on the electroneutrality but improves significantly the thermal stability of the films. Structural changes due to pO2, composition, and thermal annealing account well for the changes in the physical properties of a-ZTO films.

  16. Lanthanide ions doped Y2Sn2O7 nano-particles: low temperature synthesis and photoluminescence study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nigam, Sandeep; Sudarsan, V.; Vatsa, R.K.

    2008-01-01

    During the past decade, pyrochlore-type oxides (A 2 B 2 O 7 ) have emerged as important host matrices for lanthanide doped luminescent materials due to their higher thermal stability. Up to now, conventional solid-state reaction is the most commonly used synthetic method for preparation, of rare-earth pyrochlore oxides. This synthesis route employs a solid-state reaction of metal-oxide with appropriate rare-earth oxides at high temperature (>1200 deg C) for a long time (several days). However, in present work, Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 nanoparticles co-doped with lanthanide ions Tb 3+ and Ce 3+ were prepared based on the urea hydrolysis of Y 3+ , Sn 4+ , and Ln 3+ in ethylene glycol medium at 150 deg C followed by heating at 500, 700 and 900 deg C

  17. Characterization of Al-Doped ZnO Transparent Conducting Thin Film Prepared by Off-Axis Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sin-Liang Ou

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The off-axis sputtering technique was used to deposit Al-doped ZnO (AZO films on glass substrates at room temperature. For the illustration of the sample position in the sputtering chamber, the value of R/r is introduced. Here, r is the radius of AZO target and R is the distance between the sample and the center of substrate holder. A systematic study for the effect of deposition parameters on structural, optical, and electrical properties of AZO films has been investigated in detail. As the sample position of R/r is fixed at 1.8, it is found that the as-deposited AZO film has relatively low resistivity of 2.67 × 10−3 Ω-cm and high transmittance above 80% in the visible region. Additionally, after rapid thermal annealing (RTA at 600°C with N2 atmosphere, the resistivity of this AZO film can be further reduced to 1.19 × 10−3 Ω-cm. This indicates the AZO films prepared by off-axis magnetron sputtering and treated via the appropriate RTA process have great potential in optoelectronic applications.

  18. Synthesis and characterization of SnO2 doped with fluorine by the technique of polymeric precursors; Sintese e caracterizacao de SnO2 dopado com fluor pela tecnica dos precursores polimericos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pereira, Gilberto J.; Lopes, Rafael Ialago, E-mail: gilbertop@fei.edu.br [Centro Universitario FEI, Sao Bernardo do Campo, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais

    2016-07-01

    The present work deals with the synthesis of tin dioxide powders doped with fluorine and chlorine anions to evaluate the influence of these on the physico-chemical properties of SnO2, as well as to verify if the dopant does not make a solid solution with the material and its possible use as sintering additive. The samples were synthesized by Pechini method (polymer precursors) with tin oxalate as a source not contaminated with chlorine of this metal. Specific surface area characterization (BET method) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) show that doping reduces the particle size of SnO2, being more effective at lower dopant levels. The dilatometry of the doped powders shows a reduction in the beginning and end temperatures of the sintering of the tin dioxide when compared with values in the literature.

  19. The investigation of the effect of niobium artificial doping with titanium on Nb3Sn superconductors properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikulin, A.; Shikov, A.; Beliakov, N.; Semin, M.

    1997-01-01

    The effect on titanium doping of Nb filaments, and thus on the properties of bronze processed multifilamentary Nb 3 Sn wires and wires with internal tin sources with copper volume fraction up to 65 %, has been analysed. Either titanium rods or rods of the Nb-50Ti alloy, inserted in the axial area of each filament, were used as a source of titanium. The influence of doping on the quantity, composition, structure and superconducting properties of intermetallic compound Nb 3 Sn after heat treatments at 570-750 degrees C with duration up to 350 h was investigated by means of electrical measurements, optical metallography and methods of microanalysis and X-ray analysis. It was shown that the non-copper critical current density of the doped wires attained 600 and 270 A/mm 2 in 12.5 and 16 T respectively for bronze processed wires and 800 and 300 A/mm 2 for wires with internal tin source. Upper critical field calculated in accordance with Kramer's extrapolation was equal to 29-32 T

  20. Molybdenum Doped SnO2 Thin Films as a Methanol Vapor Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patil Shriram B.

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The molybdenum doped SnO2 thin films were synthesized by conventional spray pyrolysis route and has been investigated for the methanol vapor sensing. The structural and elemental composition analysis of thin films was carried out by X- ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX.The XRD spectrum revealed that the thin films have the polycrystalline nature with a mixed phase comprising of SnO2 and MoO3. The scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM clears that the surface morphology observed to be granular, uniformly covering the entire surface area of the thin film. The methanol vapor sensing studies were performed in dry air at the different temperatures. The influence of the concentration of Molybdenum and operating temperature on the sensor performance has been investigated.

  1. Comparison of electrocatalytic characterization of boron-doped diamond and SnO2 electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lv, Jiangwei; Feng, Yujie; Liu, Junfeng; Qu, Youpeng; Cui, Fuyi

    2013-01-01

    Boron-doped diamond (BDD) and SnO 2 electrodes were prepared by direct current plasma chemical vapor deposition (DC-PCVD) and sol–gel method, respectively. Electrochemical characterization of the two electrodes were investigated by phenol electrochemical degradation, accelerated service life test, cyclic voltammetry (CV) in phenol solution, polarization curves in H 2 SO 4 . The surface morphology and crystal structure of two electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The results showed a considerable difference between the two electrodes in their electrocatalytic activity, electrochemical stability and surface properties. Phenol was readily mineralized to CO 2 at BDD electrode, favoring electrochemical combustion, but its degradation was much slower at SnO 2 electrode. The service life of BDD electrode was 10 times longer than that of SnO 2 . Higher electrocatalytic activity and electrochemical stability of BDD electrode arise from its high oxygen evolution potential and the physically absorbed hydroxyl radicals (·OH) on electrode surface.

  2. Magnetism tuned by the charge states of defects in bulk C-doped SnO2 materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Ying-Bo; Ling, Z C; Cong, Wei-Yan; Zhang, Peng

    2015-10-21

    To analyze the controversial conclusions on the magnetism of C-doped SnO2 (SnO2:C) bulk materials between theoretical calculations and experimental observations, we propose the critical role of the charge states of defects in the geometric structures and magnetism, and carry out a series of first principle calculations. By changing the charge states, we can influence Bader charge distributions and atomic orbital occupancies in bulk SnO2:C systems, which consequently conduct magnetism. In all charged SnO2:C supercells, C-2px/py/pz electron occupancies are significantly changed by the charge self-regulation, and thus they make the C-2p orbitals spin polarized, which contribute to the dominant magnetic moment of the system. When the concentration of C dopant in the SnO2 supercell increases, the charge redistribution assigns extra electrons averagely to each dopant, and thus effectively modulates the magnetism. These findings provide an experimentally viable way for controlling the magnetism in these systems.

  3. The effect of the film thickness and doping content of SnO2:F thin films prepared by the ultrasonic spray method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahal Achour; Benramache Said; Benhaoua Boubaker

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports on the effects of film thickness and doping content on the optical and electrical properties of fluorine-doped tin oxide. Tin (II) chloride dehydrate, ammonium fluoride dehydrate, ethanol and HCl were used as the starting materials, dopant source, solvent and stabilizer, respectively. The doped films were deposited on a glass substrate at different concentrations varying between 0 and 5 wt% using an ultrasonic spray technique. The SnO 2 :F thin films were deposited at a 350 °C pending time (5, 15, 60 and 90 s). The average transmission was about 80%, and the films were thus transparent in the visible region. The optical energy gap of the doped films with 2.5 wt% F was found to increase from 3.47 to 3.89 eV with increasing film thickness, and increased after doping at 5 wt%. The decrease in the Urbach energy of the SnO 2 :F thin films indicated a decrease in the defects. The increase in the electrical conductivity of the films reached maximum values of 278.9 and 281.9 (Ω·cm) −1 for 2.5 and 5 wt% F, respectively, indicating that the films exhibited an n-type semiconducting nature. A systematic study on the influence of film thickness and doping content on the properties of SnO 2 :F thin films deposited by ultrasonic spray was reported. (semiconductor materials)

  4. Epitaxial Sb-doped SnO{sub 2} and Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} transparent conducting oxide contacts on GaN-based light emitting diodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsai, Min-Ying [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Bierwagen, Oliver, E-mail: bierwagen@pdi-berlin.de [Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Paul-Drude-Insitut für Festkörperelektronik, Hausvogteiplatz 5-7, 10117 Berlin (Germany); Speck, James S. [Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

    2016-04-30

    We demonstrate the growth of epitaxial (100)-oriented, rutile Sb-doped SnO{sub 2} (ATO) and (111)-oriented, cubic Sn-doped In{sub 2}O{sub 3} (ITO) transparent conducting oxide (TCO) contacts on top of an InGaN/GaN(0001) light emitting diode (LED) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE). Both oxides form rotational domains. The in-plane epitaxial alignment of the two ITO(111) rotational domains to the GaN(0001) was: GaN [21-10]|| ITO{sub Domain1}[‐ 211]|| ITO{sub Domain2}[‐ 1‐12]. A growth temperature as low as 600 °C was necessary to realize a low contact resistance between ATO and the top p-GaN layer of the LED but resulted in non-optimal resistivity (3.4 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} Ω cm) of the ATO. The current–voltage characteristics of a processed LED, however, were comparable to that of a reference LED with a standard electron-beam evaporated ITO top contact. At short wavelengths, the optical absorption of ATO was lower than that of ITO, which is beneficial even for blue LEDs. Higher PAMBE growth temperatures resulted in lower resistive ATO but higher contact resistance to the GaN, likely by the formation of an insulating Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface layer. The ITO contact grown by PAMBE at 600 °C showed extremely low resistivity (10{sup −4} Ω cm) and high crystalline and morphological quality. These proof-of-principle results may lead to the development of epitaxial TCO contacts with low resistivity, well-defined interfaces to the p-GaN to help minimize contact losses, and enable further epitaxy on top of the TCO. - Highlights: • Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of SnO{sub 2}:Sb (ATO) and In{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Sn (ITO) contacts • Working light emitting diodes processed with the ATO contact on the top p-GaN layer • Low growth temperature ensures low contact resistance (limiting interface reaction). • ITO showed significantly better structural and transport properties than ATO. • ATO showed higher optical transmission at short

  5. Effects of Mg Doping on the Performance of InGaN Films Made by Reactive Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Dong-Hau; Li, Cheng-Che; Tuan, Thi Tran Anh; Yen, Wei-Chun

    2015-01-01

    Mg-doped InGaN (Mg-InGaN) films have been deposited directly on Si (100) substrates by radio-frequency reactive sputtering technique with single cermet targets in an Ar/N2 atmosphere. The cermet targets with a constant 5% indium content were made by hot pressing the mixture of metallic In, Ga, and Mg powders and ceramic GaN powder. The Mg-InGaN films had a wurtzite structure with a preferential () growth plane. The SEM images showed that Mg-InGaN films were smooth, continuous, free from cracks and holes, and composed of nanometer-sized grains. As the Mg dopant content in Mg-InGaN increased to 7.7 at.%, the film was directly transformed into p-type conduction without a post-annealing process. It had high hole concentration of 5.53 × 1018 cm-3 and electrical mobility of 15.7 ± 4.2 cm2 V-1 s-1. The over-doping of Mg in InGaN degraded the electrical properties. The bandgap of Mg-InGaN films decreased from 2.92 eV to 2.84 eV, as the Mg content increased from 7.7% to 18.2%. The constructed p-type Mg-InGaN/ n-type GaN diode was used to confirm the realization of the p-type InGaN by sputtering technique.

  6. Structural and optical properties of vanadium doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles with high photocatalytic activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reddy, Ch. Venkata [School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Babu, B. [Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Vattikuti, S.V. Prabhakar [School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ravikumar, R.V.S.S.N. [Department of Physics, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, A.P. 522510 (India); Shim, Jaesool, E-mail: Jshim@ynu.ac.kr [School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-11-15

    Vanadium (0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 mol%) doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles have been synthesized using combustion synthesis method. The as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized using various measurements such as XRD, SEM with EDS, HRTEM, Raman spectroscopy, optical, PL, XPS and FT-IR techniques. The crystal structure and average particle sizes of the prepared nanoparticles were confirmed from the XRD. The average crystalline particle sizes were decreased by increasing the vanadium dopant concentration. The presence of vanadium as V{sup 4+} species in the host lattice was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The band gap energies were decreased by increasing dopant concentration. The 0.05 mol% doped sample showed higher photocatalytic activity than undoped, V-1 and V-3 in decomposing rhodamine B (RhB) under UV light irradiation. The Raman and IR spectra confirm the fundamental vibration of SnO{sub 2} host molecules.

  7. Effect of N_2 flow rate on the properties of N doped TiO_2 films deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Shou; Yang, Yong; Li, Gang; Jiang, Jiwen; Jin, Kewu; Yao, TingTing; Zhang, Kuanxiang; Cao, Xin; Wang, Yun; Xu, Genbao

    2016-01-01

    N doped TiO_2 films were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature using DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering with a TiO_2 ceramic target. The influences of N_2 flow rate on the deposition rate, crystal structure, chemical composition and band gap of the deposited films were investigated by Optical profiler, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The film growth rate gradually decreased with increasing N_2 flow rate. As N_2 flow rate increased, the crystallization of the films deteriorated, and the films tended to form amorphous structure. XPS analysis revealed that N dopant atoms were added at the substitutional sites into TiO_2 lattice structure. FE-SEM results showed that the grain size of the film decreased and the crystallinity degraded as N_2 flow rate increases. In addition, N doping caused an obvious red shift in the optical absorption edge. - Highlights: • N doped TiO_2 films were deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron reactive sputtering. • As N_2 flow rate increases, the crystallization of the deposited films degrades. • The higher N_2 flow rate is beneficial to form more substituted N in the film. • N doping causes an obvious red shift in the absorption wavelength.

  8. Effect of Annealing Temperature and Oxygen Flow in the Properties of Ion Beam Sputtered SnO—2x Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun-Min Wang

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Tin oxide (SnO2—x thin films were prepared under various flow ratios of O2/(O2 + Ar on unheated glass substrate using the ion beam sputtering (IBS deposition technique. This work studied the effects of the flow ratio of O2/(O2 + Ar, chamber pressures and post-annealing treatment on the physical properties of SnO2 thin films. It was found that annealing affects the crystal quality of the films as seen from both X-ray diffraction (XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM analysis. In addition, the surface RMS roughness was measured with atomic force microscopy (AFM. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES analysis was used to obtain the changes of elemental distribution between tin and oxygen atomic concentration. The electrical property is discussed with attention to the structure factor.

  9. Application of high rate magnetron sputtering to the fabrication of A-15 compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kampwirth, R.T.; Hafstrom, J.W.; Wu, C.T.

    1976-01-01

    High quality Nb 3 Sn films have been fabricated using a recently developed magnetron sputtering process capable of deposition rates approaching 1 μm/min. at sputtering voltages less than 500 V and power levels of about 5 KW. Low sputtering voltages allow more complete thermalization at lower pressures of the material condensing on the substrate which can improve long range order. Transition temperatures of up to 18.3 0 K, J/sub c/(O)'s of 15 x 10 6 A/cm 2 and Hc 2 as high as 240 kOe have been achieved in 1-3 μm films deposited from a Nb 3 Sn reacted powder target with substrate temperatures between 600 and 800 0 C. The films exhibit smooth surfaces and, generally, a [200] preferred orientation. The growth of the film is columnar in nature. The sputtering parameters, substrate material and temperature will be related to film structure T/sub c/ and J/sub c/(H,T) and the Nb/Sn ratio as determined by Rutherford backscattering

  10. Sn doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube with oxygen vacancy for highly efficient visible light photocatalysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Jinliang; Xu, Xingtao [Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Materials Science, Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Liu, Xinjuan [Institute of Coordination Bond Metrology and Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Yu, Caiyan; Yan, Dong; Sun, Zhuo [Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Materials Science, Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Pan, Likun, E-mail: lkpan@phy.ecnu.edu.cn [Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Materials Science, Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China)

    2016-09-15

    Sn doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube with oxygen vacancy (V{sub o}-Sn−TiO{sub 2}) was successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process and subsequent annealing in nitrogen atmosphere. The morphology, structure and photocatalytic performance of V{sub o}-Sn−TiO{sub 2} in the degradation of nitrobenzene were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and electrochemical impedance spectra, respectively. The inner diameter, outer diameter and specific surface area of V{sub o}-Sn−TiO{sub 2} are about 5 nm, 15 nm and 235.54 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}, respectively. The experimental results show that the V{sub o}-Sn−TiO{sub 2} exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance with a maximum degradation rate of 92% in 300 min for nitrobenzene and 94% in 100 min for Rhodamine B and corresponding mineralization rates of 68% and 70% under visible light irradiation. The improved photocatalytic performance is ascribed to the enhanced light absorption and specific surface area as well as the reduced electron-hole pair recombination with the presence of oxygen vacancy and Sn doping in the TiO{sub 2} nanotube. - Highlights: • Photocatalysis is an environmental-friendly technology for nitrobenzene removal. • Sn doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube with oxygen vacancy is fabricated for the first time. • It exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance in degradation of nitrobenzene. • A high degradation rate of 92% is achieved under visible light irradiation.

  11. Synthesis and electrochemical performance of Sn-doped Li3V2(PO4)3/C cathode material for lithium ion battery by microwave solid-state technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Haiping; Bi, Sifu; Wen, Guangwu; Teng, Xiangguo; Gao, Peng; Ni, Zujun; Zhu, Yongming; Zhang, Fang

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Li 3 V 2−x Sn x (PO 4 ) 3 /C (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.10) cathode is first reported. ► Sn doping improves the initial discharge capacity and the cycle stability of Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C. ► Sn doping improves the conductivity and reversibility of the Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C. - Abstract: Li 3 V 2−x Sn x (PO 4 ) 3 /C cathode materials with uniform and fine particle sizes were successfully and fast synthesized by a microwave solid-state synthesis method. X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrated that the appropriate addition of Sn did not destroy the lattice structure of Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C, but decreased the unit cell volume. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that the main chemical state of V in the Li 3 V 1.95 Sn 0.05 (PO 4 ) 3 /C composite is +3 valence, while the chemical state of Sn in the Li 3 V 1.95 Sn 0.05 (PO 4 ) 3 /C is +4 valence. Scanning electron microscope analysis illustrated that the addition of Sn slightly affected the morphology of samples. As the cathode materials for Li-ion batteries, Li 3 V 2−x Sn x (PO 4 ) 3 /C (x ⩽ 0.10) exhibited higher discharge capacity and better cycle stability than the pure one. At a discharge rate of 0.5 C in the potential range of 2.5–4.5 V at room temperature, the initial discharge capacity of Li 3 V 1.95 Sn 0.05 (PO 4 ) 3 /C was 136 mA h/g. The low charge-transfer resistances and large lithium ion diffusion coefficients confirmed that Sn-doped Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C samples possessed better electronic conductivity and lithium ion mobility. These improved electrochemical performances can be attributed to the appropriate amount of Sn doping in Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C system by enhancing structural stability and electrical conductivity. The present study also demonstrates that the microwave processing is a fast, simple and useful method for the fabrication of Li 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 /C crystals.

  12. Solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO_3 thin films co-doped with interstitial hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niedermeier, Christian A.; Rhode, Sneha; Fearn, Sarah; Moram, Michelle A.; Ide, Keisuke; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Hosono, Hideo; Kamiya, Toshio

    2016-01-01

    This work presents the solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO_3 thin films on SrTiO_3 single crystal substrates by crystallization through thermal annealing of nanocrystalline thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. The La:BaSnO_3 thin films show high epitaxial quality and Hall mobilities up to 26 ± 1 cm"2/Vs. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy is used to determine the La concentration profile in the La:BaSnO_3 thin films, and a 9%–16% La doping activation efficiency is obtained. An investigation of H doping to BaSnO_3 thin films is presented employing H plasma treatment at room temperature. Carrier concentrations in previously insulating BaSnO_3 thin films were increased to 3 × 10"1"9" cm"−"3 and in La:BaSnO_3 thin films from 6 × 10"1"9" cm"−"3 to 1.5 × 10"2"0" cm"−"3, supporting a theoretical prediction that interstitial H serves as an excellent n-type dopant. An analysis of the free electron absorption by infrared spectroscopy yields a small (H,La):BaSnO_3 electron effective mass of 0.27 ± 0.05 m_0 and an optical mobility of 26 ± 7 cm"2/Vs. As compared to La:BaSnO_3 single crystals, the smaller electron mobility in epitaxial thin films grown on SrTiO_3 substrates is ascribed to threading dislocations as observed in high resolution transmission electron micrographs.

  13. Moessbauer studies of SnO2 powders doped with dilute 57Fe, prepared by a sol-gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nomur, K.; Sakuma, J.; Takeda, M.

    2006-01-01

    Diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) is prospected as new materials with both semiconductor and magnetic properties. In order to confirm these phenomena, we prepared the powders of SnO 2 doped with various amount of 57 Fe by a sol-gel method. Various compositions of Sn 1-x 57 Fe x O 2 were obtained by mixing some ratio of Fe 3+ nitrate solution and acetylacetonate Sn 4+ complex in the ethylene glycol and citric acid solution. The solutions were evaporated, ashed at around 200 grad C, and finally annealed at 500 grad C, 600 grad C, and 650 grad C, respectively. These Sn 1-x 57 Fe x O 2 (x=0.005, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05) were measured by XRD, VSM, and Moessbauer spectrometry. The prepared powder samples were confirmed to be a rutile structure, but iron compounds were not detected by XRD. Moessbauer spectra of Sn 1-x 57 Fe x O 2 prepared at 500 grad C were shown in Fig. 1. A small amount of broad sextets were observed in MS spectra of Sn 1-x 57 Fe x O 2 in addition to paramagnetic components. The relative intensity seems to be strong with the decrease of the amount of doped Fe. Moessbauer spectrum at 10 K shows clearly the magnetic components. The magnetic sextet was observed in MS spectra of samples prepared at 650 grad C, but the magnetic behavior weakened because of antiferromagnetic α-Fe 2 O 3 , produced due to the phase separation at high temperatures. (authors)

  14. Fluorine-doped SnO2 nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide as a high-performance lithium ion battery anode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Dongming; Zheng, Zhong; Peng, Xue; Li, Teng; Sun, Tingting; Yuan, Liangjie

    2017-09-01

    The composite of fluorine-doped SnO2 anchored on reduced graphene oxide (F-SnO2/rGO) has been synthesized through a hydrothermal method. F-SnO2 particles with average size of 8 nm were uniformly anchored on the surfaces of rGO sheets and the resulting composite had a high loading of F-SnO2 (ca. 90%). Benefiting from the remarkably improved electrical conductivity and Li-ion diffusion in the electrode by F doping and rGO incorporation, the composite material exhibited high reversible capacity, excellent long-term cycling stability and superior rate capability. The electrode delivered a large reversible capacity of 1037 mAh g-1 after 150 cycles at 100 mA g-1 and high rate capacities of 860 and 770 mAh g-1 at 1 and 2 A g-1, respectively. Moreover, the electrode could maintain a high reversible capacities of 733 mAh g-1 even after 250 cycles at 500 mA g-1. The outstanding electrochemical performance of the as-synthesized composite make it a promising anode material for high-energy lithium ion batteries.

  15. Physical and chemical characterization of Ag-doped Ti coatings produced by magnetron sputtering of modular targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmitz, Tobias; Warmuth, Franziska; Werner, Ewald; Hertl, Cornelia; Groll, Jürgen; Gbureck, Uwe; Moseke, Claus

    2014-01-01

    Silver-doped Ti films were produced using a single magnetron sputtering source equipped with a titanium target containing implemented silver modules under variation of bias voltage and substrate temperature. The Ti(Ag) films were characterized regarding their morphology, contact angle, phase composition, silver content and distribution as well as the elution of Ag + ions into cell media. SEM and AFM pictures showed that substrate heating during film deposition supported the formation of even and dense surface layers with small roughness values, an effect that could even be enforced, when a substrate bias voltage was applied instead. The deposition of both Ti and Ag was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. ICP-MS and EDX showed a clear correlation between the applied sputtering parameters and the silver content of the coatings. Surface-sensitive XPS measurements revealed that higher substrate temperatures led to an accumulation of Ag in the near-surface region, while the application of a bias voltage had the opposite effect. Additional elution measurements using ICP-MS showed that the release kinetics depended on the amount of silver located at the film surface and hence could be tailored by variation of the sputter parameters. - Highlights: • Modular targets were used to deposit Ti(Ag) films. • Ag-content is adjustable by bias voltage, sputtering power and substrate temperature. • Coating parameters significantly change film morphology and roughness. • A critical parameter for Ag release is the fraction of silver on the film surface

  16. Studying the Properties of RF-Sputtered Nanocrystalline Tin-Doped Indium Oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abd El-Hady B. Kashyout

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The ceramic target of Indium tinoxide (ITO (90% In2O3-10%SnO2 has been used to prepare transparent semiconductive thin films on glass substrate by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The properties of the thin films are affected by controlling the deposition parameters, namely, RF power values and deposition times. The structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of the thin films are investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM, atomic force microscope (AFM, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and four-point probe measurement. Nanoparticles of 10–20 nm are measured and confirmed using both FESEM and AFM. The main preferred orientations of the prepared thin films are (222 and (400 of the cubic ITO structure. The transparent semiconductive films have high transmittance within the visible range of values 80–90% and resistivity of about 1.62×10−4 Ω⋅cm.

  17. Conducting atomic force microscopy studies on doped CulnO2 thin films for resistive memory device applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehta, B.R.

    2009-01-01

    Full text: Delafosite thin films have interesting structural, optical and electronic properties due to the highly anisotropic crystal structure and possibility of bipolar conductivity. In this presentation, optical, structural and electrical properties of Sn (n type) and Ca (p type) doped CulnO 2 layers grown by rf magnetron sputtering technique will be discussed. Depending on doping and deposition temperature, these films show nanocolumnar structure with (110) and (006) preferred orientations. The observed decrease in activation energy from 0.9 eV to about 0.10 eV and a large decrease in conductivity from 2.11 x 10 -10 Scm -1 to 1.66 x 10 -1 Scm -1 on Sn doping has been explained due to the change in preferred orientation along with efficient doping. Our results show that crystallite orientation is the most important factor controlling the electrical conduction in delafossite thin films. The anisotropy of electrical conduction along (006) and (110) directions in tin doped samples has been further established using conducting atomic force microscopy (CAFM) measurements. The CAFM measurements shows the presence of nanoconducting region when the current flow direction is aligned along the BO 6 layer and complete absence of conducting regions when the current direction is perpendicular to the film surface. Resistive memory devices based on Sn and Ca doped CulnO 2 films show stable and reproducible 'on' and 'off' states. CAFM measurement on these devices carried out before and after 'forming' show the growth of nanoconducting filaments on the application of a threshold voltage. It is possible to control resistance in the 'on' and 'off' states and magnitude of the forming and switching voltages by controlling the doping concentration and crystallite orientation in CulnO 2 layers

  18. Study on the electrical properties of ITO films deposited by facing target sputter deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Youn J; Jin, Su B; Kim, Sung I; Choi, Yoon S; Choi, In S; Han, Jeon G

    2009-01-01

    This study examined the mechanism for the change in the electrical properties (carrier concentration (n) and mobility (μ)) of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films deposited by magnetron sputtering in a confined facing magnetic field. The relationship between the carrier concentration and the mobility was significantly different from the results reported for ITO films deposited by other magnetron sputtering processes. The lowest resistivity obtained for ITO films deposited in a confined facing magnetic field at low substrate temperatures (approximately 120 0 C) was 4.26 x 10 -4 Ω cm at a power density of 3 W cm -2 . Crystalline ITO films were obtained at a low power density range from 3 to 5 W cm -2 due to the increase in the substrate temperature from 120 to 162 0 C. This contributed to the increased carrier concentration and decreased electrical resistivity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed an increase in the concentration of the Sn 4+ states. This was attributed to the formation of a crystalline ITO film, which effectively enhanced the carrier concentration and reduced the carrier mobility.

  19. High blocking temperature in SnO{sub 2} based super-paramagnetic diluted magnetic semiconductor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mounkachi, O., E-mail: o.mounkachi@mascir.com [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco); Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Salmani, E. [LMPHE, associé au CNRST (URAC 12), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V-Agdal, Rabat (Morocco); El Moussaoui, H. [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco); Masrour, R. [Laboratory of Materials, Processes, Environment and Quality, Cady Ayyed University, National School of Applied Sciences, Safi (Morocco); Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Hamedoun, M. [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco); Ez-Zahraouy, H. [LMPHE, associé au CNRST (URAC 12), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V-Agdal, Rabat (Morocco); Hlil, E.K. [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble cedex 9 (France); Benyoussef, A. [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, MAScIR, Rabat (Morocco); LMPHE, associé au CNRST (URAC 12), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed V-Agdal, Rabat (Morocco)

    2014-11-25

    Highlights: • Simple doping, (Sn,Fe)O{sub 2} exhibits a soft ferromagnetism at low temperature. • High blocking temperature was observed for Cu doped (Sn,Fe)O{sub 2} nanocrystalline. • Experimental results are confirmed by ab initio calculations. - Abstract: (Fe,Cu)-doped SnO{sub 2} nanocrystals was synthesized using the co-precipitation method. Magnetic Properties Measurement System (MPMS) revealed that for simple doping, Fe-doped SnO{sub 2} soft ferromagnetism at low temperature appears, while the ferromagnetic phase is stable at temperature higher than room temperature for Cu co-doping element. The ferromagnetism is significantly enhanced by the Cu addition to Fe-doped SnO{sub 2}, according to the ZFC and FC magnetizations and the hysteresis loops. The evidences for the existence of superparamagnetism are characterized and high blocking temperature super-paramagnetism in (Fe,Cu)-doped SnO{sub 2} nanocrystals was observed. Based on first-principles calculations, we have investigated electronic structures and magnetic properties of Fe-doped SnO{sub 2} and (Fe,Cu)-doped SnO{sub 2} with and without defect with LDA and LDA-SIC approximations. The results suggest that the oxygen vacancies (V{sub O}) play a critical role in the activation of ferromagnetism in Fe doped SnO{sub 2}. For (Fe,Cu)-doped SnO{sub 2} the results exhibit that Cu strongly influences on the magnetic properties of these doped systems which are in good agreement with the experimental observations. Electronic structure show that the presence of Cu promote the ferromagnetic bound magnetic polaron interaction through the carriers introduce by d (Cu)

  20. The electrical, optical, structural and thermoelectrical characterization of n- and p-type cobalt-doped SnO2 transparent semiconducting films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagheri-Mohagheghi, Mohammad-Mehdi; Shokooh-Saremi, Mehrdad

    2010-01-01

    The electrical, optical and structural properties of Cobalt (Co) doped SnO 2 transparent semiconducting thin films, deposited by the spray pyrolysis technique, have been studied. The SnO 2 :Co films, with different Co-content, were deposited on glass substrates using an aqueous-ethanol solution consisting of tin and cobalt chlorides. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the SnO 2 :Co films were polycrystalline only with tin oxide phases and preferential orientations along (1 1 0) and (2 1 1) planes and grain sizes in the range 19-82 nm. Optical transmittance spectra of the films showed high transparency ∼75-90% in the visible region, decreasing with increase in Co-doping. The optical absorption edge for undoped SnO 2 films was found to be 3.76 eV, while for higher Co-doped films shifted toward higher energies (shorter wavelengths) in the range 3.76-4.04 eV and then slowly decreased again to 4.03 eV. A change in sign of the Hall voltage and Seebeck coefficient was observed for a specific acceptor dopant level ∼11.4 at% in film and interpreted as a conversion from n-type to p-type conductivity. The thermoelectric electro-motive force (e.m.f.) of the films was measured in the temperature range 300-500 K and Seebeck coefficients were found in the range from -62 to +499 μVK -1 for various Co-doped SnO 2 films.

  1. The electrical, optical, structural and thermoelectrical characterization of n- and p-type cobalt-doped SnO 2 transparent semiconducting films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagheri-Mohagheghi, Mohammad-Mehdi; Shokooh-Saremi, Mehrdad

    2010-10-01

    The electrical, optical and structural properties of Cobalt (Co) doped SnO 2 transparent semiconducting thin films, deposited by the spray pyrolysis technique, have been studied. The SnO 2:Co films, with different Co-content, were deposited on glass substrates using an aqueous-ethanol solution consisting of tin and cobalt chlorides. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the SnO 2:Co films were polycrystalline only with tin oxide phases and preferential orientations along (1 1 0) and (2 1 1) planes and grain sizes in the range 19-82 nm. Optical transmittance spectra of the films showed high transparency ∼75-90% in the visible region, decreasing with increase in Co-doping. The optical absorption edge for undoped SnO 2 films was found to be 3.76 eV, while for higher Co-doped films shifted toward higher energies (shorter wavelengths) in the range 3.76-4.04 eV and then slowly decreased again to 4.03 eV. A change in sign of the Hall voltage and Seebeck coefficient was observed for a specific acceptor dopant level ∼11.4 at% in film and interpreted as a conversion from n-type to p-type conductivity. The thermoelectric electro-motive force (e.m.f.) of the films was measured in the temperature range 300-500 K and Seebeck coefficients were found in the range from -62 to +499 μVK -1 for various Co-doped SnO 2 films.

  2. Growth and characterization of a-axis oriented Cr-doped AlN films by DC magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Panda, Padmalochan; Ramaseshan, R., E-mail: seshan@igcar.gov.in; Dash, S. [Materials Science Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 603102 (India); Krishna, Nanda Gopala [Corrosion Science and Technology Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, 603102 (India)

    2016-05-23

    Wurtzite type Cr-doped AlN thin films were grown on Si (100) substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering with a function of N{sub 2} concentration (15 to 25%). Evolution of crystal structure of these films was studied by GIXRD where a-axis preferred orientation was observed. The electronic binding energy and concentration of Cr in these films were estimated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). We have observed indentation hardness (H{sub IT}) of around 28.2 GPa for a nitrogen concentration of 25%.

  3. Photoluminescence of Er-doped Si-SiO2 and Al-Si-SiO2 sputtered thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rozo, C.; Fonseca, L.F.; Jaque, D.; Sole, J.Garcia

    2008-01-01

    Er-doped Si-SiO 2 and Al-Si-SiO 2 films have been deposited by rf-sputtering being annealed afterwards. Annealing behavior of the Er 3+ : 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission of Er-doped Si-SiO 2 yields a maximum intensity for annealing at 700-800 deg. C. 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 peak emission for Er-doped Al-Si-SiO 2 at 1525 nm is shifted from that for Er-doped Si-SiO 2 at 1530 nm and the bandwidth increases from 29 to 42 nm. 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission decays present a fast decaying component related to Er ions coupled to Si nanoparticles, defects, or other ions, and a slow decaying component related to isolated Er ions. Excitation wavelength dependence and excitation power dependence for the 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission correspond with energy transfer from Si nanoparticles. Populating of the 4 I 11/2 level in Er-doped Si-SiO 2 involves branching and energy transfer upconversion involving two or more Er ions. Addition of Al reduces the populating of this level to an energy transfer upconversion involving two ions

  4. Synthesis and room-temperature ferromagnetic properties of single-crystalline Co-doped SnO2 nanocrystals via a high magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Yongbin; Tang Yongjun; Li Chuanjun; Cao Guanghui; Ren Weili; Xu Hui; Ren Zhongming

    2009-01-01

    The magnetic field-assisted approach has been used in the synthesis of Co-doped SnO 2 diluted magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals. By annealing under the condition with or without magnetic field, 1D growth of the nanostructures can be induced, and the magnetic properties of the obtained nanocrystals are improved. Various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-visible spectrometry (UV-vis), Raman spectrometry and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) have been used to characterize the obtained products. The results show that the magnetic field holds important effects on the crystal growth of the Co-doped SnO 2 nanostructures, and improvement of magnetic properties. The intrinsic reasons are discussed.

  5. Effect of both deposition temperature and indium doping on the properties of sol-gel dip-coated SnO2 films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caglar, Mujdat; Atar, Kadir Cemil

    2012-10-01

    Using indium chloride as an In source, In-doped SnO(2) films were fabricated by sol-gel method through dip-coating on borofloat glass substrates. The undoped SnO(2) films were deposited in air between 400 and 600 °C to get optimum deposition temperature in terms of crystal quality and hence In-doped SnO(2) films were deposited in air at 600 °C. The effect of both deposition temperature and In content on structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties was investigated. The crystalline structure and orientation of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface morphology was studied by a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The compositional analysis of the films was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The absorption band edge of the SnO(2) films shifted from 3.88 to 3.66 eV with In content. The van der Pauw method was used to measure the sheet resistance of the films. The sheet resistance was affected significantly by deposition temperature and In content. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Indium oxide co-doped with tin and zinc: A simple route to highly conducting high density targets for TCO thin-film fabrication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saadeddin, I.; Hilal, H. S.; Decourt, R.; Campet, G.; Pecquenard, B.

    2012-07-01

    Indium oxide co-doped with tin and zinc (ITZO) ceramics have been successfully prepared by direct sintering of the powders mixture at 1300 °C. This allowed us to easily fabricate large highly dense target suitable for sputtering transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films, without using any cold or hot pressing techniques. Hence, the optimized ITZO ceramic reaches a high relative bulk density (˜ 92% of In2O3 theoretical density) and higher than the well-known indium oxide doped with tin (ITO) prepared under similar conditions. All X-ray diagrams obtained for ITZO ceramics confirms a bixbyte structure typical for In2O3 only. This indicates a higher solubility limit of Sn and Zn when they are co-doped into In2O3 forming a solid-solution. A very low value of electrical resistivity is obtained for [In2O3:Sn0.10]:Zn0.10 (1.7 × 10-3 Ω cm, lower than ITO counterpart) which could be fabricated to high dense ceramic target suing pressure-less sintering.

  7. Enhancement of field emission and photoluminescence properties of graphene-SnO2 composite nanostructures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Jijun; Yan, Xingbin; Li, Jun; Shen, Baoshou; Yang, Juan; Chen, Jiangtao; Xue, Qunji

    2011-11-01

    In this study, the SnO(2) nanostructures and graphene-SnO(2) (G-SnO(2)) composite nanostructures were prepared on n-Si (100) substrates by electrophoretic deposition and magnetron sputtering techniques. The field emission of SnO(2) nanostructures is improved largely by depositing graphene buffer layer, and the field emission of G-SnO(2) composite nanostructures can also further be improved by decreasing sputtering time of Sn nanoparticles to 5 min. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the SnO(2) nanostructures revealed multipeaks, which are consistent with previous reports except for a new peak at 422 nm. Intensity of six emission peaks increased after depositing graphene buffer layer. Our results indicated that graphene can also be used as buffer layer acting as interface modification to simultaneity improve the field emission and PL properties of SnO(2) nanostructures effectively.

  8. Properties of Ce-doped ITO films deposited on polymer substrate by DC magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Y.M.; Kwon, S.H.; Choi, J.H.; Cho, Y.J.; Song, P.K.

    2010-01-01

    Ce-doped indium tin oxide (ITO:Ce) films were deposited on flexible polyimide substrates by DC magnetron sputtering using ITO targets containing various CeO 2 contents (CeO 2 : 0, 0.5, 3.0, 4.0, 6.0 wt.%) at room temperature and post-annealed at 200 o C. The crystallinity of the ITO films decreased with increasing Ce content, and it led to a decrease in surface roughness. In addition, a relatively small change in resistance in dynamic stress mode was obtained for ITO:Ce films even after the annealing at high temperature (200 o C). The minimum resistivity of the amorphous ITO:Ce films was 3.96 x 10 -4 Ωcm, which was deposited using a 3.0 wt.% CeO 2 doped ITO target. The amorphous ITO:Ce films not only have comparable electrical properties to the polycrystalline films but also have a crystallization temperature > 200 o C. In addition, the amorphous ITO:Ce film showed stable mechanical properties in the bended state.

  9. Trade-off between Zr Passivation and Sn Doping on Hematite Nanorod Photoanodes for Efficient Solar Water Oxidation: Effects of a ZrO2 Underlayer and FTO Deformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subramanian, Arunprabaharan; Annamalai, Alagappan; Lee, Hyun Hwi; Choi, Sun Hee; Ryu, Jungho; Park, Jung Hee; Jang, Jum Suk

    2016-08-03

    Herein we report the influence of a ZrO2 underlayer on the PEC (photoelectrochemical) behavior of hematite nanorod photoanodes for efficient solar water splitting. Particular attention was given to the cathodic shift in onset potential and photocurrent enhancement. Akaganite (β-FeOOH) nanorods were grown on ZrO2-coated FTO (fluorine-doped tin oxide) substrates. Sintering at 800 °C transformed akaganite to the hematite (α-Fe2O3) phase and induced Sn diffusion into the crystal structure of hematite nanorods from the FTO substrates and surface migration, shallow doping of Zr atoms from the ZrO2 underlayer. The ZrO2 underlayer-treated photoanode showed better water oxidation performance compared to the pristine (α-Fe2O3) photoanode. A cathodic shift in the onset potential and photocurrent enhancement was achieved by surface passivation and shallow doping of Zr from the ZrO2 underlayer, along with Sn doping from the FTO substrate to the crystal lattice of hematite nanorods. The Zr based hematite nanorod photoanode achieved 1 mA/cm(2) at 1.23 VRHE with a low turn-on voltage of 0.80 VRHE. Sn doping and Zr passivation, as well as shallow doping, were confirmed by XPS, Iph, and M-S plot analyses. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the presence of a ZrO2 underlayer decreased the deformation of FTO substrate, improved electron transfer at the hematite/FTO interface and increased charge-transfer resistance at the electrolyte/hematite interface. This is the first systematic investigation of the effects of Zr passivation, shallow doping, and Sn doping on hematite nanorod photoanodes through application of a ZrO2 underlayer on the FTO substrate.

  10. Changes in the structural and electrical properties of vacuum post-annealed tungsten- and titanium-doped indium oxide films deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yan, L.T.; Schropp, R.E.I.

    2011-01-01

    Tungsten- and titanium-doped indium oxide (IWO and ITiO) filmswere deposited at room temperature by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering, and vacuum post-annealing was used to improve the electron mobility. With increasing deposition power, the as deposited films showed an increasingly

  11. Impact of Nb vacancies and p-type doping of the NbCoSn-NbCoSb half-Heusler thermoelectrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferluccio, Daniella A; Smith, Ronald I; Buckman, Jim; Bos, Jan-Willem G

    2018-02-07

    The half-Heuslers NbCoSn and NbCoSb have promising thermoelectric properties. Here, an investigation of the NbCo 1+y Sn 1-z Sb z (y = 0, 0.05; 0 ≤ z ≤ 1) solid-solution is presented. In addition, the p-type doping of NbCoSn using Ti and Zr substitution is investigated. Rietveld analysis reveals the gradual creation of Nb vacancies to compensate for the n-type doping caused by the substitution of Sb in NbCoSn. This leads to a similar valence electron count (∼18.25) for the NbCo 1+y Sn 1-z Sb z samples (z > 0). Mass fluctuation disorder due to the Nb vacancies strongly decreases the lattice thermal conductivity from 10 W m -1 K -1 (z = 0) to 4.5 W m -1 K -1 (z = 0.5, 1). This is accompanied by a transition to degenerate semiconducting behaviour leading to large power factors, S 2 /ρ = 2.5-3 mW m -1 K -2 and figures of merit, ZT = 0.25-0.33 at 773 K. Ti and Zr can be used to achieve positive Seebeck values, e.g. S = +150 μV K -1 for 20% Zr at 773 K. However, the electrical resistivity, ρ 323K = 27-35 mΩ cm, remains too large for these materials to be considered useful p-type materials.

  12. Pd-Doped SnO2-Based Sensor Detecting Characteristic Fault Hydrocarbon Gases in Transformer Oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weigen Chen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Methane (CH4, ethane (C2H6, ethylene (C2H4, and acetylene (C2C2 are important fault characteristic hydrocarbon gases dissolved in power transformer oil. Online monitoring these gaseous components and their generation rates can present the operational state of power transformer timely and effectively. Gas sensing technology is the most sticky and tricky point in online monitoring system. In this paper, pure and Pd-doped SnO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. The gas sensors were fabricated by side-heated preparation, and their gas sensing properties against CH4, C2H6, C2H4, and C2H2 were measured. Pd doping increases the electric conductance of the prepared SnO2 sensors and improves their gas sensing performances to hydrocarbon gases. In addition based on the frontier molecular orbital theory, the highest occupied molecular orbital energy and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy were calculated. Calculation results demonstrate that C2H4 has the highest occupied molecular orbital energy among CH4, C2H6, C2H4, and C2H2, which promotes charge transfer in gas sensing process, and SnO2 surfaces capture a relatively larger amount of electric charge from adsorbed C2H4.

  13. Photoelectrochemical Characterization of Sprayed α-Fe2O3 Thin Films: Influence of Si Doping and SnO2 Interfacial Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongqi Liang

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available α-Fe2O3 thin film photoanodes for solar water splitting were prepared by spray pyrolysis of Fe(AcAc3. The donor density in the Fe2O3 films could be tuned between 1017–1020 cm-3 by doping with silicon. By depositing a 5 nm SnO2 interfacial layer between the Fe2O3 films and the transparent conducting substrates, both the reproducibility and the photocurrent can be enhanced. The effects of Si doping and the presence of the SnO2 interfacial layer were systematically studied. The highest photoresponse is obtained for Fe2O3 doped with 0.2% Si, resulting in a photocurrent of 0.37 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE in a 1.0 M KOH solution under 80 mW/cm2 AM1.5 illumination.

  14. Development of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Sputtered N-Doped TiO2 Thin Films: From Modeling the Growth Mechanism of the Films to Fabrication of the Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. A. Duarte

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, nitrogen-doped TiO2 thin films were deposited by DC reactive sputtering at different doping levels for the development of dye-sensitized solar cells. The mechanism of film growth during the sputtering process and the effect of the nitrogen doping on the structural, optical, morphological, chemical, and electronic properties of the TiO2 were investigated by numerical modeling and experimental methods. The influence of the nitrogen doping on the working principle of the prototypes was investigated by current-voltage relations measured under illuminated and dark conditions. The results indicate that, during the film deposition, the control of the oxidation processes of the nitride layers plays a fundamental role for an effective incorporation of substitutional nitrogen in the film structure and cells built with nitrogen-doped TiO2 have higher short-circuit photocurrent in relation to that obtained with conventional DSSCs. On the other hand, DSSCs built with nondoped TiO2 have higher open-circuit voltage. These experimental observations indicate that the incorporation of nitrogen in the TiO2 lattice increases simultaneously the processes of generation and destruction of electric current.

  15. Structure adhesion and corrosion resistance study of tungsten bisulfide doped with titanium deposited by DC magnetron co-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De La Roche, J. [Laboratorio de Física del Plasma, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Manizales, Km. 9 vía al aeropuerto, Campus La Nubia, Manizales (Colombia); González, J.M. [Laboratorio de Recubrimientos Duros y Aplicaciones Industriales – RDAI, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 N° 100-00 Ciudadela Meléndez, Cali (Colombia); Restrepo-Parra, E., E-mail: erestrepop@unal.edu.co [Laboratorio de Física del Plasma, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Manizales, Km. 9 vía al aeropuerto, Campus La Nubia, Manizales (Colombia); Sequeda, F. [Laboratorio de Recubrimientos Duros y Aplicaciones Industriales – RDAI, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 N° 100-00 Ciudadela Meléndez, Cali (Colombia); Alleh, V.; Scharf, T.W. [The University of North Texas, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Denton, TX 76203 (United States)

    2014-11-30

    Highlights: • Ti-doped WS{sub 2} films were grown via the magnetron co-sputtering technique. • At a high Ti percentage, the crystalline structure of WS{sub 2} coatings tends to be amorphous. • As the Ti percentage increases in WS{sub 2} coatings, nanocomposites tend to form. • Ti-doped WS{sub 2} films have elastic behavior compared with the plastic response of pure WS{sub 2} films. • A high Ti percentage increases the corrosion resistance of WS{sub 2} films. - Abstract: Titanium-doped tungsten bisulfide thin films (WS{sub 2}-Ti) were grown using a DC magnetron co-sputtering technique on AISI 304 stainless steel and silicon substrates. The films were produced by varying the Ti cathode power from 0 to 25 W. Using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), the concentration of Ti in the WS{sub 2} was determined, and a maximum of 10% was obtained for the sample grown at 25 W. Moreover, the S/W ratio was calculated and determined to increase as a function of the Ti cathode power. According to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results, at high titanium concentrations (greater than 6%), nanocomposite formation was observed, with nanocrystals of Ti embedded in an amorphous matrix of WS{sub 2}. Using the scratch test, the coatings’ adhesion was analyzed, and it was observed that as the Ti percentage was increased, the critical load (Lc) also increased. Furthermore, the failure type changed from plastic to elastic. Finally, the corrosion resistance was evaluated using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique, and it was observed that at high Ti concentrations, the corrosion resistance was improved, as Ti facilitates coating densification and generates a protective layer.

  16. The effect of simultaneous substitution on the electronic band structure and thermoelectric properties of Se-doped Co3SnInS2 with the Kagome lattice

    OpenAIRE

    Fujioka, Masaya; Shibuya, Taizo; Nakai, Junya; Yoshiyasu, Keigo; Sakai, Yuki; Takano, Yoshihiko; Kamihara, Yoichi; Matoba, Masanori

    2012-01-01

    The thermoelectric properties and electronic band structures for Se-doped Co3SnInS2 were examined. The parent compound of this material (Co3Sn2S2) has two kinds of Sn sites (Sn1 and Sn2 sites). The density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the indium substitution at the Sn2 site induces a metallic band structure, on the other hand, a semiconducting band structure is obtained from substitution at the Sn1 site. However, according to the previous reports, since the indium atom prefe...

  17. Flexible Al-doped ZnO films grown on PET substrates using linear facing target sputtering for flexible OLEDs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Jin-A; Shin, Hyun-Su; Choi, Kwang-Hyuk; Kim, Han-Ki

    2010-01-01

    We report the characteristics of flexible Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films prepared by a plasma damage-free linear facing target sputtering (LFTS) system on PET substrates for use as a flexible transparent conducting electrode in flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The electrical, optical and structural properties of LFTS-grown flexible AZO electrodes were investigated as a function of dc power. We obtained a flexible AZO film with a sheet resistance of 39 Ω/□ and an average transmittance of 84.86% in the visible range although it was sputtered at room temperature without activation of the Al dopant. Due to the effective confinement of the high-density plasma between the facing AZO targets, the AZO film was deposited on the PET substrate without plasma damage and substrate heating caused by bombardment of energy particles. Moreover, the flexible OLED fabricated on the AZO/PET substrate showed performance similar to the OLED fabricated on a ITO/PET substrate in spite of a lower work function. This indicates that LFTS is a promising plasma damage-free and low-temperature sputtering technique for deposition of flexible and indium-free AZO electrodes for use in cost-efficient flexible OLEDs.

  18. A simple method to deposit palladium doped SnO2 thin films using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Soon; Wahab, Rizwan; Shin, Hyung-Shik; Ansari, S. G.; Ansari, Z. A.

    2010-01-01

    This work presents a simple method to deposit palladium doped tin oxide (SnO 2 ) thin films using modified plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition as a function of deposition temperature at a radio frequency plasma power of 150 W. Stannic chloride (SnCl 4 ) was used as precursor and oxygen (O 2 , 100 SCCM) (SCCM denotes cubic centimeter per minute at STP) as reactant gas. Palladium hexafluroacetyleacetonate (Pd(C 5 HF 6 O 2 ) 2 ) was used as a precursor for palladium. Fine granular morphology was observed with tetragonal rutile structure. A peak related to Pd 2 Sn is observed, whose intensity increases slightly with deposition temperature. Electrical resistivity value decreased from 8.6 to 0.9 mΩ cm as a function of deposition temperature from 400 to 600 deg. C. Photoelectron peaks related to Sn 3d, Sn 3p3, Sn 4d, O 1s, and C 1s were detected with varying intensities as a function of deposition temperature.

  19. Effect of working pressure on corrosion behavior of nitrogen doped diamond-like carbon thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khun, N W; Liu, E

    2011-06-01

    Nitrogen doped diamond-like carbon thin films were deposited on highly conductive p-silicon(100) substrates using a DC magnetron sputtering deposition system by varying working pressure in the deposition chamber. The bonding structure, adhesion strength, surface roughness and corrosion behavior of the films were investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, micro-scratch test, atomic force microscopy and potentiodynamic polarization test. A 0.6 M NaCl electrolytic solution was used for the corrosion tests. The optimum corrosion resistance of the films was found at a working pressure of 7 mTorr at which a good balance between the kinetics of the sputtered ions and the surface mobility of the adatoms promoted a microstructure of the films with fewer porosities.

  20. Mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the sputtered Ti doped hydroxyapatite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vladescu, A; Padmanabhan, S C; Ak Azem, F; Braic, M; Titorencu, I; Birlik, I; Morris, M A; Braic, V

    2016-10-01

    The hydroxyapatite enriched with Ti were prepared as possible candidates for biomedical applications especially for implantable devices that are in direct contact to the bone. The hydroxyapatites with different Ti content were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on Ti-6Al-4V alloy using pure hydroxyapatite and TiO2 targets. The content of Ti was modified by changing the RF power fed on TiO2 target. The XPS and FTIR analyses revealed the presence of hydroxyapatite structure. The hardness and elastic modulus of the hydroxyapatite were increased by Ti addition. After 5 days of culture, the cell viability of the Ti-6Al-4V was enhanced by depositing with undoped or doped hydroxyapatite. The Ti additions led to an increase in cell viability of hydroxyapatite, after 5 days of culture. The electron microscopy showed the presence of more cells on the surface of Ti-enriched hydroxyapatite than those observed on the surface of the uncoated alloys or undoped hydroxyapatite. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The effect of charge carrier and doping site on thermoelectric properties of Mg2Sn0.75Ge0.25

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saparamadu, Udara; Mao, Jun; Dahal, Keshab; Zhang, Hao; Tian, Fei; Song, Shaowei; Liu, Weishu; Ren, Zhifeng

    2017-01-01

    Mg 2 Sn 0.75 Ge 0.25 has been recently demonstrated to be a promising thermoelectric material for power generation in the temperature range from room temperature to 723 K because of the high power factor of ∼54 μW cm −1  K −2 upon Sb doping to the Sn site. The enhanced density of states effective mass and weak electron scattering from the alloying effect are believed to be the main reasons for the high power factor (PF) and hence high figure of merit (ZT). In this study, it is shown that the right choice of carrier donor also plays an important role in obtaining high power factor. The effect of carrier donors Y and La at Mg-site and Bi and P at Sn-site in Mg 2 Sn 0.75 Ge 0.25 is systematically investigated. It is found that charge donors at the Sn-site are much more effective than at the Mg-site in enhancing PF and ZT. Bi doped Mg 2 Sn 0.73 Bi 0.02 Ge 0.25 shows a peak ZT of ∼1.4 at 673 K, a peak PF of ∼54 μW cm −1  K −2 at 577 K, which resulted in an engineering figure of merit (ZT) eng of ∼0.76 and (PF) eng of ∼2.05 W m −1  K −1 for cold side fixed at 323 K and hot side at 723 K.

  2. Color tunable emission through energy transfer from Yb3+ co-doped SrSnO3: Ho3+ perovskite nano-phosphor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Neha; Singh, Rajan Kr.; Sinha, Shriya; Singh, R. A.; Singh, Jai

    2018-04-01

    First time color tunable lighting observed from Ho3+ and Yb3+ co-doped SrSnO3 perovskite. Down-conversion and up-conversion (UC) photoluminescence emission spectra were recorded to understand the whole mechanism of energy migration between Ho3+ and Yb3+ ions. The intensity of green and red emission varies with Yb3+ doping which causes multicolour emissions from nano-phosphor. The intensity of UC red emission (654 nm) obtained from 1 at.% Ho3+ and 3 at.% Yb3+ co-doped nano-phosphor is nine times higher than from 1 at.% Ho3+ doped SrSnO3 nano-phosphor. Enhanced brightness of 654 nm in UC process belongs in biological transparency window so that it might be a promising phosphor in the bio-medical field. Moreover, for the other Yb3+ co-doped nano-phosphor, Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage chromaticity co-ordinates were found near the white region and their CCT values lie in the range 4900-5100 K indicating cool white. Decay time was measured for 545 nm emission of Ho3+ ion found in 7.652 and 8.734 µs at 355 nm excitation. The variation in lifetime was observed in ascending order with increasing Yb3+ concentration which supports PL emission spectra observation that with increasing Yb3+ concentration, rate of transition has changed. These studies reveal that Ho3+ and Yb3+ co-doped phosphor is useful for fabrication of white LEDs.

  3. Synergistic effect of indium and gallium co-doping on the properties of RF sputtered ZnO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaheera, M.; Girija, K. G.; Kaur, Manmeet; Geetha, V.; Debnath, A. K.; Karri, Malvika; Thota, Manoj Kumar; Vatsa, R. K.; Muthe, K. P.; Gadkari, S. C.

    2018-04-01

    ZnO thin films were synthesized using RF magnetron sputtering, with simultaneous incorporation of Indium (In) and Gallium (Ga). The structural, optical, chemical composition and surface morphology of the pure and co-doped (IGZO) thin films were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Raman spectroscopy. XRD revealed that these films were oriented along c-axis with hexagonal wurtzite structure. The (002) diffraction peak in the co-doped sample was observed at 33.76° with a slight shift towards lower 2θ values as compared to pure ZnO. The surface morphology of the two thin films was observed to differ. For pure ZnO films, round grains were observed and for IGZO thin films round as well as rod type grains were observed. All thin films synthesized show excellent optical properties with more than 90% transmission in the visible region and band gap of the films is observed to decrease with co-doping. The co doping of In and Ga is therefore expected to provide a broad range optical and physical properties of ZnO thin films for a variety of optoelectronic applications.

  4. Visible luminescence from highly textured Tb{sup 3+} doped RF sputtered zinc oxide films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sreedharan, R. Sreeja; Krishnan, R. Reshmi; Bose, R. Jolly; Kavitha, V.S.; Suresh, S. [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Vinodkumar, R. [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Department of Physics, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (India); Sudheer, S.K. [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India); Pillai, V.P. Mahadevan, E-mail: vpmpillai9@gmail.com [Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala (India)

    2017-04-15

    Highly transparent, luminescent, c-axis oriented Tb{sup 3+} doped ZnO films are prepared by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The structural, morphological, optical and luminescence properties of these films are investigated as a function of Tb{sup 3+} doping concentration by X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), spectroscopic ellipsometry, UV-Visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The as-deposited films are found to be highly crystalline with wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. The characteristic features of hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO, particularly the appearance of non-polar E{sub 2} modes are easily identified from the Raman spectra of the films. The surface morphology of the films revealed by FESEM and AFM images present a dense distribution of grains. The elemental analysis carried out using energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectra confirms the incorporation of Tb{sup 3+} ions in the ZnO lattice. The films are highly transparent in the visible region. Using ellipsometric analysis, the variation of refractive index, dielectric constant and thickness of the films are studied as a function of Tb{sup 3+} doping concentration. The photoluminescence spectra of the Tb{sup 3+} doped ZnO films recorded using an excitation radiation of wavelength 325 nm from a He-Cd laser exhibit visible luminescence ~430, 490, 516 and 542 nm. The origin of visible emissions ~490 and 542 nm in the doped films can be attributed to 5D{sub 4}→7F{sub 6} and 5D{sub 4}→7F{sub 5} transition of Tb{sup 3+} ion respectively. The intensity of the emission at 542 nm is found to be decreasing at higher doping concentration due to concentration quenching effect. The blue emission in the films can be attributed to the electron transition from shallow donor level formed by interstitial Zn atoms to the top of the valence band. The origin of the visible emission ~516 nm is attributed

  5. Adsorption-controlled growth of La-doped BaSnO3 by molecular-beam epitaxy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanjong Paik

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Epitaxial La-doped BaSnO3 films were grown in an adsorption-controlled regime by molecular-beam epitaxy, where the excess volatile SnOx desorbs from the film surface. A film grown on a (001 DyScO3 substrate exhibited a mobility of 183 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature and 400 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 10 K despite the high concentration (1.2 × 1011 cm−2 of threading dislocations present. In comparison to other reports, we observe a much lower concentration of (BaO2 Ruddlesden-Popper crystallographic shear faults. This suggests that in addition to threading dislocations, other defects—possibly (BaO2 crystallographic shear defects or point defects—significantly reduce the electron mobility.

  6. Hybrid of Co(3)Sn(2)@Co nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped graphene as a lithium ion battery anode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmood, Nasir; Zhang, Chenzhen; Liu, Fei; Zhu, Jinghan; Hou, Yanglong

    2013-11-26

    A facile strategy was designed for the fabrication of hybrid of Co3Sn2@Co nanoparticles (NPs) and nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) sheets through a hydrothermal synthesis, followed by annealing process. Core-shell architecture of Co3Sn2@Co pin on NG is designed for the dual encapsulation of Co3Sn2 with adaptable ensembles of Co and NG to address the structural and interfacial stability concerns facing tin-based anodes. In the resulted unique architecture of Co3Sn2@Co-NG hybrid, the sealed cobalt cover prevents the direct exposer of Sn with electrolyte because of encapsulated structure and keeps the structural and interfacial integrity of Co3Sn2. However, the elastically strong, flexible and conductive NG overcoat accommodates the volume changes and therefore brings the structural and electrical stabilization of Co3Sn2@Co NPs. As a result, Co3Sn2@Co-NG hybrid exhibits extraordinary reversible capacity of 1615 mAh/g at 250 mA/g after 100 cycles with excellent capacity retention of 102%. The hybrid bears superior rate capability with reversible capacity of 793.9 mAh/g at 2500 mA/g and Coulombic efficiency nearly 100%.

  7. Effect of oxygen flow rate on ITO thin films deposited by facing targets sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Youn J.; Jin, Su B.; Kim, Sung I.; Choi, Yoon S.; Choi, In S.; Han, Jeon G.

    2010-01-01

    Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at various oxygen flow rates using a planar magnetron sputtering system with facing targets. In this system, the strong internal magnets inside the target holders confine the plasma between the targets. High resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed a combination of amorphous and crystalline phases on the glass substrate. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggested that the decrease in carrier concentration and increase in mobility were caused by a decrease in the concentration of Sn 4+ states. The electrical and optical properties of the ITO films were examined by Hall measurements and UV-visible spectroscopy, which showed a film resistivity and transmittance of 4.26 x l0 -4 Ω cm, and > 80% in the visible region, respectively.

  8. Studies of CoSn grains in the carbon matrix structure of nanostructured tin–cobalt–carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferguson, P.P.; Fleischauer, M.D.; LaForge, J.M.; Todd, A.D.W.; Li, P.; Dahn, J.R.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Sn–Co–C alloys as negative electrode for Li-ion batteries. ► Sn–Co–C alloys prepared by mechanical alloying and by sputtering. ► CoSn grains embedded in carbon matrix structure was observed from SANS and TEM. ► SANS quickly characterized Sn–Co–C alloys equivalently to TEM. - Abstract: Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to qualitatively analyze the structure of Sn 30 Co 30 C 40 alloys produced by vertical axis mechanical attriting to those produced by magnetron sputter deposition. From SANS and TEM, CoSn grains embedded in a carbon matrix structure were observed for all samples. The size of CoSn grains in the attrited samples was approximately 10 ± 3 nm by both TEM and SANS, while that of the sputtered samples was about 7 times smaller.

  9. Arsenic doped p-type zinc oxide films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Fung, S.; To, C. K.; Yang, B.; Beling, C. D.; Ling, C. C.; Zhong, Y. C.; Wong, K. S.; Xie, Z.; Brauer, G.; Skorupa, W.; Anwand, W.

    2009-01-01

    As-doped ZnO films were grown by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. As the substrate temperature during growth was raised above ∼400 deg. C, the films changed from n type to p type. Hole concentration and mobility of ∼6x10 17 cm -3 and ∼6 cm 2 V -1 s -1 were achieved. The ZnO films were studied by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low temperature photoluminescence (PL), and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The results were consistent with the As Zn -2V Zn shallow acceptor model proposed by Limpijumnong et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 155504 (2004)]. The results of the XPS, PL, PAS, and thermal studies lead us to suggest a comprehensive picture of the As-related shallow acceptor formation.

  10. Arsenic doped p-type zinc oxide films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Fung, S.; Zhong, Y. C.; Wong, K. S.; Xie, Z.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Skorupa, W.; To, C. K.; Yang, B.; Beling, C. D.; Ling, C. C.

    2009-10-01

    As-doped ZnO films were grown by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. As the substrate temperature during growth was raised above ˜400 °C, the films changed from n type to p type. Hole concentration and mobility of ˜6×1017 cm-3 and ˜6 cm2 V-1 s-1 were achieved. The ZnO films were studied by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low temperature photoluminescence (PL), and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The results were consistent with the AsZn-2VZn shallow acceptor model proposed by Limpijumnong et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 155504 (2004)]. The results of the XPS, PL, PAS, and thermal studies lead us to suggest a comprehensive picture of the As-related shallow acceptor formation.

  11. Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Encapsulated SnO2@Sn Nanoparticles Uniformly Grafted on Three-Dimensional Graphene-like Networks as Anode for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yunyong; Zhang, Haiyan; Chen, Yiming; Shi, Zhicong; Cao, Xiaoguo; Guo, Zaiping; Shen, Pei Kang

    2016-01-13

    A peculiar nanostructure consisting of nitrogen-doped, carbon-encapsulated (N-C) SnO2@Sn nanoparticles grafted on three-dimensional (3D) graphene-like networks (designated as N-C@SnO2@Sn/3D-GNs) has been fabricated via a low-cost and scalable method, namely an in situ hydrolysis of Sn salts and immobilization of SnO2 nanoparticles on the surface of 3D-GNs, followed by an in situ polymerization of dopamine on the surface of the SnO2/3D-GNs, and finally a carbonization. In the composites, three-layer core-shell N-C@SnO2@Sn nanoparticles were uniformly grafted onto the surfaces of 3D-GNs, which promotes highly efficient insertion/extraction of Li(+). In addition, the outermost N-C layer with graphene-like structure of the N-C@SnO2@Sn nanoparticles can effectively buffer the large volume changes, enhance electronic conductivity, and prevent SnO2/Sn aggregation and pulverization during discharge/charge. The middle SnO2 layer can be changed into active Sn and nano-Li2O during discharge, as described by SnO2 + Li(+) → Sn + Li2O, whereas the thus-formed nano-Li2O can provide a facile environment for the alloying process and facilitate good cycling behavior, so as to further improve the cycling performance of the composite. The inner Sn layer with large theoretical capacity can guarantee high lithium storage in the composite. The 3D-GNs, with high electrical conductivity (1.50 × 10(3) S m(-1)), large surface area (1143 m(2) g(-1)), and high mechanical flexibility, tightly pin the core-shell structure of the N-C@SnO2@Sn nanoparticles and thus lead to remarkably enhanced electrical conductivity and structural integrity of the overall electrode. Consequently, this novel hybrid anode exhibits highly stable capacity of up to 901 mAh g(-1), with ∼89.3% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 0.1 A g(-1) and superior high rate performance, as well as a long lifetime of 500 cycles with 84.0% retention at 1.0 A g(-1). Importantly, this unique hybrid design is expected to be

  12. Effect of N{sub 2} flow rate on the properties of N doped TiO{sub 2} films deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng, Shou [State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architectures, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430000 (China); State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); Yang, Yong, E-mail: 88087113@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); Li, Gang; Jiang, Jiwen; Jin, Kewu; Yao, TingTing; Zhang, Kuanxiang [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); Cao, Xin [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116000 (China); Wang, Yun; Xu, Genbao [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Float Glass, Bengbu Design & Research Institute for Glass Industry, Bengbu 233000 (China)

    2016-09-05

    N doped TiO{sub 2} films were deposited on glass substrates at room temperature using DC coupled RF magnetron sputtering with a TiO{sub 2} ceramic target. The influences of N{sub 2} flow rate on the deposition rate, crystal structure, chemical composition and band gap of the deposited films were investigated by Optical profiler, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The film growth rate gradually decreased with increasing N{sub 2} flow rate. As N{sub 2} flow rate increased, the crystallization of the films deteriorated, and the films tended to form amorphous structure. XPS analysis revealed that N dopant atoms were added at the substitutional sites into TiO{sub 2} lattice structure. FE-SEM results showed that the grain size of the film decreased and the crystallinity degraded as N{sub 2} flow rate increases. In addition, N doping caused an obvious red shift in the optical absorption edge. - Highlights: • N doped TiO{sub 2} films were deposited by DC coupled RF magnetron reactive sputtering. • As N{sub 2} flow rate increases, the crystallization of the deposited films degrades. • The higher N{sub 2} flow rate is beneficial to form more substituted N in the film. • N doping causes an obvious red shift in the absorption wavelength.

  13. Dynamic magnetization of NiZn ferrite doped FeSiAl thin films fabricated by oblique sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhong, Xiaoxi, E-mail: xiaoxi.zhong@gmail.com [Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Information Materials and Devices Application, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225 (China); Phuoc, Nguyen N. [Temasek Laboratories, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117411 (Singapore); Soh, Wee Tee [Center for Superconducting and Magnetic Materials, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Ong, C.K. [Temasek Laboratories, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117411 (Singapore); Center for Superconducting and Magnetic Materials, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Li, Lezhong [Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Information Materials and Devices Application, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225 (China)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • We prepared NiZn ferrite doped FeSiAl-based thin films using oblique deposition technique. • The magnetic properties of FeSiAl-based thin films were systematically studied. • Two ferromagnetic resonance peaks were observed in the permeability spectra. • The thermal stability of microwave properties of FeSiAl-based films was studied. • The thermal stability of properties we studied was relatively good. - Abstract: In this study, we comprehensively investigate the dynamic magnetic properties of FeSiAl-NiZnFeO thin films prepared by the oblique deposition method via a shorted microstrip perturbation technique. For the films with higher oblique angle and NiZn ferrite doping amount, there are two ferromagnetic resonance peaks observed in the permeability spectra, and both of the two peaks originate from FeSiAl. Furthermore, the magnetic anisotropy field H{sub K} of the ferromagnetic resonance peak at higher frequency is enhanced with increasing doping amount, which is interpreted in terms of the contribution of reinforced stress-induced anisotropy and shape anisotropy brought about by doping elements and oblique sputtering method. In addition, the thermal stability of the ferromagnetic resonance frequency f{sub FMR} of FeSiAl-NiZnFeO films with oblique angles of 35° and 45° with respect to temperature ranging from 300 K to 420 K is deteriorated with increasing ferrite doping amount, which is mainly ascribed to the influence of pair-ordering anisotropy and/or the reduction of the FeSiAl grain size.

  14. Fabrication of a transparent ultraviolet detector by using n-type Ga2O3 and p-type Ga-doped SnO2 core-shell nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Cheng-Liang; Lu, Ying-Ching

    2012-09-21

    This study investigates the feasibility of synthesizing high-density transparent Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires on a sapphire substrate at 1000 °C by VLS. The doping Ga concentrations are 0.46, 1.07, 2.30 and 17.53 atomic%. The XRD spectrum and HR-TEM reveal Ga(2)O(3) and SnO(2) as having monoclinic and tetragonal rutile structures, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the XRD peak shift of SnO(2) to a larger angle increases with the increasing amount of Ga doping. According to the CL spectrum, SnO(2) and Ga(2)O(3) peak at approximately 528-568 nm and 422-424 nm, respectively. The maximum quantum efficiency of Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires is around 0.362%. The UV light on-off current contrast ratio of Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires is around 1066.7 at a bias of 5 V. Moreover, the dynamic response of Ga(2)O(3)/SnO(2):Ga core-shell nanowires has an on-off current contrast ratio of around 16. Furthermore, the Ga(2)O(3) region functions similar to a capacitor and continues to accumulate SnO(2):Ga excited electrons under UV light exposure.

  15. Developing the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using a SnO2-doped graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposite as a photo-anode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasikumar, Ragu; Chen, Tse-Wei; Chen, Shen-Ming; Rwei, Syang-Peng; Ramaraj, Sayee Kannan

    2018-05-01

    Tin(IV) oxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) doped on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) sheets for application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). The effective incorporation of SnO2 on the surface of GO sheets were confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Raman spectroscopy. The morphology of the GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis. This current study involvement with the effect of different photo-anodes such as GO, SnO2, and GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the triiodide electrolyte based DSSCs. Remarkably, GO/SnO2 hybrid nanocomposite based photo-anode for DSSC observed PCE of 8.3% and it is about 12% higher than that of un-doped TiO2 photo-anode. The equivalent short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 16.67 mA cm-2, open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.77 V, and fill factor (FF) of 0.65 respectively. The achieved results propose that the hybrid nanocomposite is an appropriate photo-anodic material for DSSCs applications.

  16. Anomalies in the temperature dependence of Faraday rotation on yttrium iron garnets doped with Sn, Zr, or Sb

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Orazio, F.; Giammaria, F.; Lucari, F.

    1991-01-01

    Faraday rotation (FR) measurements on three thin single crystalline samples of yttrium iron garnet doped with Sn, Zr, and Sb as a function of temperature in the near infrared region show a monotonic variation of the magneto-optical signal as the temperature is decreased from 300 to about 50 K. At this point the FR signal levels off. Moreover, the slope of the plot for the sample, doped with Sn, changes sign below this temperature, at particular wavelengths. An explanation of the observed phenomena is given in terms of the energy levels of the Fe 2+ ions in the different sites of the crystal and the temperature dependence of their populations caused by the relative orientation between the local symmetry axis of the specific site and the direction of the sample magnetization. Hysteresis loops of the Faraday rotation as a function of applied magnetic field have been also measured showing the presence of a remanence of the sample magnetization

  17. Effect of substrate temperature on the morphological, structural, and optical properties of RF sputtered Ge1−x Snx films on Si substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmodi, H; Hashim, M R

    2017-01-01

    In this study, Ge 1−x Sn x alloy films are co-sputtered on Si(100) substrates using RF magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperatures. Scanning electron micrographs, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) are conducted to investigate the effect of substrate temperature on the structural and optical properties of grown GeSn alloy films. AFM results show that RMS surface roughness of the films increases from 1.02 to 2.30 nm when raising the substrate temperature. This increase could be due to Sn surface segregation that occurs when raising the substrate temperature. Raman spectra exhibits the lowest FWHM value and highest phonon intensity for a film sputtered at 140 °C. The spectra show that decreasing the deposition temperature to 140 °C improves the crystalline quality of the alloy films and increases nanocrystalline phase formation. The results of Raman spectra and XPS confirm Ge–Sn bond formation. The optoelectronic characteristics of fabricated metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors on sputtered samples at room temperature (RT) and 140 °C are studied in the dark and under illumination. The sample sputtered at 140 °C performs better than the RT sputtered sample. (paper)

  18. Nonlinear I-V characteristics of doped SnO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dhage, S.R.; Choube, Vandana; Ravi, V

    2004-07-15

    When tin oxide is doped with Sb{sub 2}O{sub 3} and CoO, it shows highly nonlinear current (I)-voltage (V) characteristics. Addition of CoO leads to creation of oxygen vacancies and helps in sintering of SnO{sub 2}. Antimony oxide acts as a donor and increases the conductivity. The results are nearly same when antimony oxide is replaced by tantalum oxide. The grain size of these sintered ceramics varies from 5 to 7 {mu}m and the grain boundary barrier height (PHI{sub B}) is in the range of 0.5 eV. The observed nonlinear coefficient ({alpha}) is 25 and 27 for antimony and tantalum oxide, respectively and the breakdown field is in the range of 1250 V cm{sup -1}.

  19. F-doped SnO2 thin films grown on flexible substrates at low temperatures by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, H.; Auyeung, R.C.Y.; Pique, A.

    2011-01-01

    Fluorine-doped tin oxide (SnO 2 :F) films were deposited on polyethersulfone plastic substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The electrical and optical properties of the SnO 2 :F films were investigated as a function of deposition conditions such as substrate temperature and oxygen partial pressure during deposition. High quality SnO 2 :F films were achieved under an optimum oxygen pressure range (7.4-8 Pa) at relatively low growth temperatures (25-150 deg. C). As-deposited films exhibited low electrical resistivities of 1-7 mΩ-cm, high optical transmittance of 80-90% in the visible range, and optical band-gap energies of 3.87-3.96 eV. Atomic force microscopy measurements revealed a reduced root mean square surface roughness of the SnO 2 :F films compared to that of the bare substrates indicating planarization of the underlying substrate.

  20. Defect induced activation of Raman silent modes in rf co-sputtered Mn doped ZnO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yadav, Harish Kumar [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India); Sreenivas, K [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India); Katiyar, R S [Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00931-3343 (Puerto Rico); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India)

    2007-10-07

    We study the influence of Mn doping on the vibrational properties of rf sputtered ZnO thin films. Raman spectra of the Mn doped ZnO samples reveal two additional vibrational modes, in addition to the host phonon modes, at 252 and 524 cm{sup -1}. The intensity of the additional modes increases continuously with Mn concentration in ZnO and can be used as an indication of Mn incorporation in ZnO. The modes are assigned to the activation of ZnO silent modes due to relaxation of Raman selection rules produced by the breakdown of the translational symmetry of the crystal lattice with the incorporation of Mn at the Zn site. Furthermore, the A{sub 1} (LO) mode is observed with very high intensity in the Raman spectra of undoped ZnO thin film and is attributed to the built-in electric field at the grain boundaries.

  1. Defect induced activation of Raman silent modes in rf co-sputtered Mn doped ZnO thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yadav, Harish Kumar; Sreenivas, K; Katiyar, R S; Gupta, Vinay

    2007-01-01

    We study the influence of Mn doping on the vibrational properties of rf sputtered ZnO thin films. Raman spectra of the Mn doped ZnO samples reveal two additional vibrational modes, in addition to the host phonon modes, at 252 and 524 cm -1 . The intensity of the additional modes increases continuously with Mn concentration in ZnO and can be used as an indication of Mn incorporation in ZnO. The modes are assigned to the activation of ZnO silent modes due to relaxation of Raman selection rules produced by the breakdown of the translational symmetry of the crystal lattice with the incorporation of Mn at the Zn site. Furthermore, the A 1 (LO) mode is observed with very high intensity in the Raman spectra of undoped ZnO thin film and is attributed to the built-in electric field at the grain boundaries

  2. Effect of cerium doping on the electrical properties of ultrathin indium tin oxide films for application in touch sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Saewon; Cho, Sanghyun; Song, Pungkeun

    2014-01-01

    The electrical and microstructure properties of cerium doped indium tin oxide (ITO:Ce) ultrathin films were evaluated to assess their potential application in touch sensors. 10 to 150-nm ITO and ITO:Ce films were deposited on glass substrates (200 °C) by DC magnetron sputtering using different ITO targets (doped with CeO 2 : 0, 1, 3, 5 wt.%). ITO:Ce (doped with CeO 2 : 3 wt.%) films with thickness < 25 nm showed lower resistivity than ITO. This lower resistivity was accompanied by a significant increase in the Hall mobility despite a decrease in crystallinity. In addition, the surface morphology and wetting properties improved with increasing Ce concentration. This is related to an earlier transition from an island structure to continuous film formation caused by an increase in the initial nucleation density. - Highlights: • 10 to 150-nm InSnO 2 (ITO) and ITO:Ce thin films were deposited by sputtering. • ITO:Ce films with thickness < 25 nm showed lower resistivity than ITO. • Hall mobility was strongly affected by initial film formation. • Surface morphology and wetting property improved with increasing Ce concentration. • Such behavior is related to an earlier transition to continuous film formation

  3. Synthesis of PtSn nanostructured catalysts supported over TiO{sub 2} and Ce-doped TiO{sub 2} particles for the electro-oxidation of ethanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alvarez, A.E. [Instituto de Ingeniería Electroquímica y Corrosión (INIEC), CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Sur. Av. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca B8000CPB (Argentina); Gravina, A.N. [Departamento de Química, INQUISUR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Av. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca B8000CPB (Argentina); Sieben, J.M., E-mail: jmsieben@uns.edu.ar [Instituto de Ingeniería Electroquímica y Corrosión (INIEC), CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Sur. Av. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca B8000CPB (Argentina); Messina, P.V. [Departamento de Química, INQUISUR, CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Av. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca B8000CPB (Argentina); Duarte, M.M.E. [Instituto de Ingeniería Electroquímica y Corrosión (INIEC), CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Sur. Av. Alem 1253, Bahía Blanca B8000CPB (Argentina)

    2016-09-15

    Highlights: • PtSn particles supported on TiO2 and Ce-doped TiO2 were evaluated as catalysts for EOR. • PtSn/TiO2 showed better mass current and higher TON than PtSn/Ce–TiO2 materials. • The activity for EOR decreased markedly with increasing Ce content in the TiO2. - Abstract: PtSn/TiO2 and PtSn/Ce-doped TiO2 catalysts were synthesized and evaluated for ethanol electro-oxidation in acid media. Titanium dioxide and Ce-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal method followed by calcination at 923 K. Bimetallic PtSn catalysts supported on the oxide materials were synthesized by microwave assisted reduction in ethylene glycol (EG). The structural properties of the resulting materials were evaluated via TEM and XRD, and the compositions were assessed by EDX and ICP-AES analysis. PtSn nanoparticles of about 3–4 nm were deposited on TiO2 and Ce–TiO2 particles. It was found that the catalyst composition is scarcely influenced by the cerium content in the mixed oxides while the electrochemical surface area per unit mass decreases upon the incorporation of Ce in the anatase lattice. The electrochemical tests pointed out that the electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation decreases markedly as the Ce content increases. The results indicate that the presence of cerium in the titanium dioxide crystalline network induces local structural and electronic modifications, thereby leading to a reduction of the crystallinity, surface conductivity and the amount of OH species adsorbed on the surface of the oxide support.

  4. Direct Current Sputter Epitaxy of Heavily Doped p+ Layer for Monocrystalline Si Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenchang Yeh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Sputter epitaxy of p+ layer for fabrication of Si solar cells (SCs was demonstrated. Hall carrier concentration of p+ layer was 2.6 × 1020 cm−3 owing to cosputtering of B with Si at low temperature, which had enabled heavy and shallow p+ dope layer. p+nn+ SCs were fabricated and influence of p+ and n+ layers was investigated. Internal quantum efficiency (IQE of p+nn+ SCs was 95% at visible light and was larger than 60% at ultraviolet (UV light when the p+ layer was thinner than 30 nm. At near infrared (NIR, extra increment on IQE was achieved by rear n+ back surface field (BSF layer with a thickness thinner than 100 nm.

  5. Role of copper/vanadium on the optoelectronic properties of reactive RF magnetron sputtered NiO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panneerselvam, Vengatesh; Chinnakutti, Karthik Kumar; Thankaraj Salammal, Shyju; Soman, Ajith Kumar; Parasuraman, Kuppusami; Vishwakarma, Vinita; Kanagasabai, Viswanathan

    2018-04-01

    In this study, pristine nickel oxide (NiO), copper-doped NiO (Cu-NiO) and vanadium-doped NiO (V-NiO) thin films were deposited using reactive RF magnetron co-sputtering as a function of dopant sputtering power. Cu (0-8 at%) and V (0-1 at%) were doped into the NiO lattice by varying the sputtering power of Cu and V in the range of 5-15 W. The effect of dopant concentration on optoelectronic behavior is investigated by UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer and Hall measurements. XRD analysis showed that the preferred orientation of the cubic phase for undoped NiO changes from (200) to (111) plane when the sputtering parameters are varied. The observed changes in the lattice parameters and bonding states of the doped NiO indicate the substitution of Ni ions by monovalent Cu and trivalent V ions. The optical bandgap of pristine NiO, Cu-NiO, and V-NiO was found to be 3.6, 3.45, and 3.05 eV, respectively, with decreased transmittance and resistivity. Further analysis using SEM and AFM described the morphological behavior of doped NiO thin films and Raman spectroscopy indicated the structural changes on doping. These findings would be helpful in fabricating solid-state solar cells using doped NiO as efficient hole transporting material.

  6. The Optimum Fabrication Condition of p-Type Antimony Tin Oxide Thin Films Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huu Phuc Dang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Transparent Sb-doped tin oxide (ATO thin films were fabricated on quartz glass substrates via a mixed (SnO2 + Sb2O3 ceramic target using direct current (DC magnetron sputtering in ambient Ar gas at a working pressure of 2 × 10−3 torr. X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, Hall-effect, and UV-vis spectra measurements were performed to characterize the deposited films. The substrate temperature of the films was investigated in two ways: (1 films were annealed in Ar ambient gas after being deposited at room temperature or (2 they were deposited directly at different temperatures. The first process for fabricating the ATO films was found to be easier than the second process. The deposited films showed p-type electrical properties, a polycrystalline tetragonal rutile structure, and their average transmittance was greater than 80% in the visible light range at the optimum annealing temperature of 500°C. The best electrical properties of the film were obtained on a 10 wt% Sb2O3-doped SnO2 target with a resistivity, hole concentration, and Hall mobility of 0.55 Ω·cm, 1.2 × 1019 cm−3, and 0.54 cm2V−1s−1, respectively.

  7. Photocatalytic performance of Sn-doped TiO2 nanostructured mono and double layer thin films for Malachite Green dye degradation under UV and vis-lights

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayilkan, F.; Asiltuerk, M.; Tatar, P.; Kiraz, N.; Arpac, E.; Sayilkan, H.

    2007-01-01

    Nanostructure Sn 4+ -doped TiO 2 based mono and double layer thin films, contain 50% solid ratio of TiO 2 in coating have been prepared on glass surfaces by spin-coating technique. Their photocatalytic performances were tested for degradation of Malachite Green dye in solution under UV and vis irradiation. Sn 4+ -doped nano-TiO 2 particle a doping ratio of about 5[Sn 4+ /Ti(OBu n ) 4 ; mol/mol%] has been synthesized by hydrotermal process at 225 deg. C. The structure, surface and optical properties of the thin films and/or the particles have been investigated by XRD, BET and UV/vis/NIR techniques. The results showed that the double layer coated glass surfaces have a very high photocatalytic performance than the other one under UV and vis lights. The results also proved that the hydrothermally synthesized nano-TiO 2 particles are fully anatase crystalline form and are easily dispersed in water. The results also reveal that the coated surfaces have hydrophilic property

  8. Studies on the structural and electrical properties of F-doped SnO{sub 2} film prepared by APCVD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang Jingkai; Liu Wenchang; Dong Lizhong; Li Yuanxun; Li Chuan [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Zhao Hongli, E-mail: zhaohongli@ysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

    2011-10-01

    Fluorine-doped tin oxide films (SnO{sub 2}:F, FTO) were deposited by atmosphere pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) on Na-Ca-Si glass coated with a diffusion barrier layer of SiO{sub x}C{sub y}. The effects of post-heating time at 700 deg. C on the structural and electrical properties of SnO{sub 2}:F films were investigated. The results showed that SnO{sub 2}:F films were polycrystalline with tetragonal SnO{sub 2} structure, SnO phase was present in SnO{sub 2} film, and abnormal grain growth was observed. The element distribution in the film depth was measured with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and revealed that when the heating time increased from 202 s to 262 s, the oxygen content in the surface increased from 78.63% to 83.38%. The resistivity increased from 3.13 x 10{sup -4} for as-deposited films to 4.73 x 10{sup -4} {Omega} cm when post-heated for 262 s. Hall mobility is limited by the ionized impurity scattering rather than the grain boundary scattering.

  9. Synthesis, characterization and luminescence study of Eu3+ doped Y2Sn2O7 nano-particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nigam, Sandeep; Sudarsan, V.; Vatsa, R.K.

    2011-01-01

    In recent years, advanced materials derived from Pyrochlore-type oxides (A 2 B 2 O 7 ), have been of extensive scientific and technological interest. Chemical substitution of A or B sites of pyrochlore oxide by rare earth ions is a widely used approach to prepare thermally stable, lanthanide ion doped luminescent materials. The present study deals with the synthesis and characterization of Eu 3+ doped Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 : nanoparticles prepared by the hydrolysis of Y 3+ , Sn 4+ , and Eu 3+ in ethylene glycol medium followed by heating at 700 deg C for 4 hours. As prepared samples are amorphous in nature and 700 deg C heated sample showed well crystalline pyrochlore structure in XRD studies. Average particle size is calculated from the width of the X-ray diffraction peaks and found to t be around 5 nm. Luminescence measurements were carried out for as prepared and 700 deg C heated samples. The undoped as prepared sample showed a broad emission peak around 420 nm after excitation at 285 nm. While for 700 deg C undoped heated sample, the peak maxima was shifted to 435 nm. The emission spectrum for doped as prepared samples is characterized by both host emission around 420 nm along with the characteristic Eu 3+ emission peaks in the visible region. However, very poor Eu 3+ emission from heated sample was observed

  10. Structural properties and hyperfine characterization of Sn-substituted goethites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larralde, A.L. [INQUIMAE, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Analitica y Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Ramos, C.P. [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, GIyA - CAC - CNEA, Av. Gral. Paz 1499 (1650), San Martin, Bs. As. (Argentina); Arcondo, B. [Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Paseo Colon 850 (C1063ACV), Bs. As. (Argentina); Tufo, A.E. [INQUIMAE, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Analitica y Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Saragovi, C. [Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, GIyA - CAC - CNEA, Av. Gral. Paz 1499 (1650), San Martin, Bs. As. (Argentina); Sileo, E.E., E-mail: sileo@qi.fcen.uba.ar [INQUIMAE, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Analitica y Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2012-04-16

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pure and tin-doped goethites were synthesized from Sn(II) solutions at ambient pressure and 70 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Rietveld refinement of PXRD data indicated that Sn partially substituted the Fe(III) ions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The substitution provoked unit cell expansion, and a distortion of the coordination polyhedron. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer {sup 119}Sn Moessbauer spectroscopy revealed that Sn(II) is incorporated as Sn(IV). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer {sup 57}Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy showed a lower magnetic coupling as tin concentration increased. - Abstract: Tin-doped goethites obtained by a simple method at ambient pressure and 70 Degree-Sign C were characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, Rietveld refinement of powder X-ray diffraction data, and {sup 57}Fe and {sup 119}Sn Moessbauer spectroscopy. The particles size and the length to width ratios decreased with tin-doping. Sn partially substituted the Fe(III) ions provoking unit cell expansion and increasing the crystallinity of the particles with enlarged domains that grow in the perpendicular and parallel directions to the anisotropic broadening (1 1 1) axis. Intermetallic E, E Prime and DC distances also change although the variations are not monotonous, indicating different variations in the coordination polyhedron. In general, the Sn-substituted samples present larger intermetallic distances than pure goethite, and the greatest change is shown in the E Prime distance which coincides with the c-parameter. {sup 119}Sn Moessbauer spectroscopy revealed that Sn(II) is incorporated as Sn(IV) in the samples. On the other hand, Fe(II) presence was not detected by {sup 57}Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy, suggesting the existence of vacancies in the Sn-doped samples. A lower magnetic coupling is also evidenced from the average magnetic hyperfine field values obtained as tin

  11. Enhancement of Thermoelectric Performances in a Topological Crystal Insulator Pb0.7Sn0.3Se via Weak Perturbation of the Topological State and Chemical Potential Tuning by Chlorine Doping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chan-Chieh; Kim, Gareoung; Ginting, Dianta; Ahn, Kyunghan; Rhyee, Jong-Soo

    2018-04-04

    Topological insulators generally share commonalities with good thermoelectric (TE) materials because of their narrow band gaps and heavy constituent elements. Here, we propose that a topological crystalline insulator (TCI) could exhibit a high TE performance by breaking its crystalline symmetry and tuning the chemical potential by elemental doping. As a candidate material, we investigate the TE properties of the Cl-doped TCI Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Se. The infrared absorption spectra reveal that the band gap is increased from 0.055 eV for Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Se to 0.075 eV for Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Se 0.99 Cl 0.01 , confirming that the Cl doping can break the crystalline mirror symmetry of a TCI Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Se and thereby enlarge its bulk electronic band gap. The topological band inversion is confirmed by the extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, which shows that the TCI state is weakened in a chlorine x = 0.05-doped compound. The small gap opening and partial linear band dispersion with massless and massive bands may have a high power factor (PF) for high electrical conductivity with an enhancement of the Seebeck coefficient. As a result, Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Se 0.99 Cl 0.01 shows a considerably enhanced ZT of 0.64 at 823 K, which is about 1200% enhancement in ZT compared with that of the undoped Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Se. This work demonstrates that the optimal n-type Cl doping tunes the chemical potential together with breaking the state of the TCI, suppresses the bipolar conduction at high temperatures, and thereby enables the Seebeck coefficient to increase up to 823 K, resulting in a significantly enhanced PF at high temperatures. In addition, the bipolar contribution to thermal conductivity is effectively suppressed for the Cl-doped samples of Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Se 1- x Cl x ( x ≥ 0.01). We propose that breaking the crystalline mirror symmetry in TCIs could be a new research direction for exploring high-performance TE materials.

  12. Optical characterization of hydrogen-free CeO2 doped DLC films deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Zhenyu; Zhou Hongxiu; Guo Dongming; Gao Hang; Kang Renke

    2008-01-01

    A novel kind of hydrogen-free CeO 2 doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) films with thickness of 180-200 nm were deposited on silicon by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Reduced reflectance and increased lifetime are expected with respect to pure DLC films, making these coatings good candidates as optical protective coatings for IR windows and solar cells. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms that CeO 2 is formed within the DLC films. Auger electron spectroscopy exhibits that the C, O, and Ce elements distribute uniformly across the film thickness, and C element diffuses into the Si substrate at the interface between the substrate and film. AFM shows that nanoparticles with diameter of around 50 nm are formed on the surface of deposited films, whose surface roughness is in the range of 1.3-2.3 nm. Raman spectra show the CeO 2 doped DLC films are amorphous DLC films, and both the G frequency and relative intensity ratio I D /I G are higher than those of pure DLC films. The photoluminescence of CeO 2 doped DLC films is obviously more intense than that of a pure DLC film, which indicates a promising potential as optical protective films for solar cells and IR window

  13. Fabrication of textured SnO2 transparent conductive films using self-assembled Sn nanospheres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukumoto, Michitaka; Nakao, Shoichiro; Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    2018-06-01

    We present a novel method to fabricate textured surfaces on transparent conductive SnO2 films by processing substrates through a bottom-up technique with potential for industrially scalable production. The substrate processing consists of three steps: deposition of precursor Sn films on glass substrates, formation of a self-assembled Sn nanosphere layer with reductive annealing, and conversion of Sn to SnO2 by oxidative annealing. Ta-doped SnO2 films conformally deposited on the self-assembled nanospherical SnO2 templates exhibited attractive optical and electrical properties, namely, enhanced haze values and low sheet resistances, for applications as transparent electrodes in photovoltaics.

  14. Transparent conducting Al-doped ZnO thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering with dc and rf powers applied in combination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minami, Tadatsugu; Ohtani, Yuusuke; Miyata, Toshihiro; Kuboi, Takeshi

    2007-01-01

    A newly developed Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin-film magnetron-sputtering deposition technique that decreases resistivity, improves resistivity distribution, and produces high-rate depositions has been demonstrated by dc magnetron-sputtering depositions that incorporate rf power (dc+rf-MS), either with or without the introduction of H 2 gas into the deposition chamber. The dc+rf-MS preparations were carried out in a pure Ar or an Ar+H 2 (0%-2%) gas atmosphere at a pressure of 0.4 Pa by adding a rf component (13.56 MHz) to a constant dc power of 80 W. The deposition rate in a dc+rf-MS deposition incorporating a rf power of 150 W was approximately 62 nm/min, an increase from the approximately 35 nm/min observed in dc magnetron sputtering with a dc power of 80 W. A resistivity as low as 3x10 -4 Ω cm and an improved resistivity distribution could be obtained in AZO thin films deposited on substrates at a low temperature of 150 deg. C by dc+rf-MS with the introduction of hydrogen gas with a content of 1.5%. This article describes the effects of adding a rf power component (i.e., dc+rf-MS deposition) as well as introducing H 2 gas into dc magnetron-sputtering preparations of transparent conducting AZO thin films

  15. Study on the preheating duration of Cu{sub 2}SnS{sub 3} thin films using RF magnetron sputtering technique for photovoltaics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Yuchen; He, Jun; Li, Xinran; Chen, Ye; Sun, Lin, E-mail: lsun@ee.ecnu.edu.cn; Yang, Pingxiong; Chu, Junhao

    2016-04-25

    Cu{sub 2}SnS{sub 3} (CTS) thin films are prepared by sulfurization the stacked metallic precursors deposited by raido-frequency magnetron sputtering method on molybdenum-coated soda lime glass substrates. The details of sulfurization process and the effect of preheating duration on the properties of CTS thin films have been investigated. It is found that the content of element tin strongly depend on the preheating duration. X-ray diffraction patterns identify that the CTS thin films exhibit the monoclinic structure. Raman scattering spectra make a further confirmation for the crystal structure. Fourier transform infrared reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR) is first used to study the properties of CTS thin films. The assigned active modes in Raman scattering spectra is consistent with the analysis in FTIR. Morphology analysis reveals long preheating duration would make the quality of films deteriorate. The thin film solar cell (TFSC) fabricated using the CTS absorber layer synthesized at preheating duration of 15 min shows that a power conversion efficiency up to 0.76% for a 0.19 cm{sup 2} area. The electrical characterization of CTS TFSC is first studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which implies the existence of MoS{sub x} and defects in the CTS/CdS interface. - Highlights: • CTS thin films and solar cells prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. • Preheating duration is a critical way to remain the Sn content in CTS thin film. • XRD, Raman, FTIR and XPS confirmed the single phase of CTS thin film. • The device characterization of CTS solar cell has been systematically investigated.

  16. The effect of low platinum loading on the efficiency of PEMFC’s electrocatalysts supported on TiO2–Nb, and SnO2–Nb: An experimental comparison between active and stable conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shahgaldi, Samaneh; Hamelin, Jean

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • SnO 2 –Nb, and TiO 2 –Nb thin films synthesized via sputtering. • SnO 2 –Nb, and TiO 2 –Nb thin films applied as a Pt support in PEMFC. • Low amount of Pt sputtered on supports as catalyst in cathode side. • Fabricate a single cell and plot I–V curves. - Abstract: Electrocatalyst supports have been demonstrated to strongly influence the cost, performance and durability of PEMFC systems, which have been among the heated research topics in the course of the past decades. However, the present support materials used in fuel cell stack are not adequately durable for commercialization. Development of active electrocatalyst with cost effectiveness and high durability is one of the main challenges. In this paper, titania and tin oxide nanoparticles doped nobidium were selected as thermo chemically stable and carbonless electrocatalyst supports. Low Pt loading (0.05 mg/cm 2 ) is deposited on supports through sputtering method, and the structure, the distribution of nanoparticles, and the electrical resistivity were systematically analyzed. To make the studies of oxygen reduction reaction activity, catalytic stability and performance of PEMFC more precise, rotation disk electrode (RDE), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and single cell test were utilized. The data analysis of this study highlighted that SnO 2 –Nb–Pt depicted higher stability and better fuel cell performance in comparison with TiO 2 –Nb–Pt

  17. Enhancement of H2-sensing Properties of F-doped SnO2 Sensorby Surface Modification with SiO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. P. Khatkar

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Effects of surface chemical modification with sodium silicate on the gas-sensingproperties of F-doped SnO2 gas sensor designed and fabricated employing micro-electromechanical system (MEMS technology were investigated. Gas sensing properties of thesensor were checked against combustible gases like H2, CO, CH4 and C3H8 at a heatervoltage of 0.7 V. The H2 sensitivity of the surface modified F-doped SnO2 micro sensormarkedly increased and reached S = 175 which was found to be about 40 times more thanthat of unmodified sensor (S = ~ 4.2. The increase in the sensitivity is discussed in terms ofincreased resistivity and reduced permeation of gaseous oxygen into the underlying sensinglayer due to the surface modification of the sensor. The present micro-hydrogen sensor withenhanced sensitivity due to SiO2 incorporation is a low energy consuming portable sensormodule that can be mass-produced using MEMS technology at low cost.

  18. Electronic tuning of the transport properties of off-stoichiometric Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1−x}Te thermoelectric alloys by Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guttmann, Gilad M. [The Unit of Energy Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel); Dadon, David [Department of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel); Gelbstein, Yaniv [The Unit of Energy Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel); Department of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel)

    2015-08-14

    The recent energy demands affected by the dilution of conventional energy resources and the growing awareness of environmental considerations had motivated many researchers to seek for novel renewable energy conversion methods. Thermoelectric direct conversion of thermal into electrical energies is such a method, in which common compositions include IV-VI semiconducting compounds (e.g., PbTe and SnTe) and their alloys. For approaching practical thermoelectric devices, the current research is focused on electronic optimization of off-stoichiometric p-type Pb{sub x}Sn{sub 1−x}Te alloys by tuning of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} doping and/or SnTe alloying levels, while avoiding the less mechanically favorable Na dopant. It was shown that upon such doping/alloying, higher ZTs, compared to those of previously reported undoped Pb{sub 0.5}Sn{sub 0.5}Te alloy, were obtained at temperatures lower than 210–340 °C, depending of the exact doping/alloying level. It was demonstrated that upon optimal grading of the carrier concentration, a maximal thermoelectric efficiency enhancement of ∼38%, compared to that of an undoped material, is expected.

  19. Electrical and optical characteristics of ITO films by pulsed laser deposition using a 10 wt.% SnO2-doped In2O3 ceramic target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sang Hyeob; Park, Nae-Man; Kim, TaeYoub; Sung, GunYong

    2005-01-01

    We have investigated the effect of the oxygen pressure and the deposition temperature on the electrical and optical properties of the Sn-doped indium oxide (ITO) films on quartz glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using a 10 wt.% SnO 2 -doped In 2 O 3 target. The resistivity and the carrier concentration of the films were decreased due to the decrease of the oxygen vacancy while increasing the oxygen pressure. With increasing deposition temperature, the resistivity of the films was decreased and the carrier concentration was increased due to the grain growth and the enhancement of the Sn diffusion. We have optimized the PLD process to deposit a highly conductive and transparent ITO film, which shows the optical transmittance of 88% and the resistivity of 2.49x10 -4 Ω cm for the film thickness of 180 nm

  20. Linear temperature behavior of thermopower and strong electron-electron scattering in thick F-doped SnO2 films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Wen-Jing; Li, Zhi-Qing

    2014-07-01

    Both the semi-classical and quantum transport properties of F-doped SnO2 thick films (˜1 μm) were investigated experimentally. We found that the resistivity caused by the thermal phonons obeys Bloch-Grüneisen law from ˜90 to 300 K, while only the diffusive thermopower, which varies linearly with temperature from 300 down to 10 K, can be observed. The phonon-drag thermopower is completely suppressed due to the long electron-phonon relaxation time in the compound. These observations, together with the fact that the carrier concentration has negligible temperature dependence, indicate that the conduction electrons in F-doped SnO2 films possess free-electron-like characteristics. At low temperatures, the electron-electron scattering dominates over the electron-phonon scattering and governs the inelastic scattering process. The theoretical predications of scattering rates of large- and small-energy-transfer electron-electron scattering processes, which are negligibly weak in three-dimensional disordered conventional conductors, are quantitatively tested in this lower carrier concentration and free-electron-like highly degenerate semiconductor.

  1. Linear temperature behavior of thermopower and strong electron-electron scattering in thick F-doped SnO2 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, Wen-Jing; Li, Zhi-Qing

    2014-01-01

    Both the semi-classical and quantum transport properties of F-doped SnO 2 thick films (∼1 μm) were investigated experimentally. We found that the resistivity caused by the thermal phonons obeys Bloch-Grüneisen law from ∼90 to 300 K, while only the diffusive thermopower, which varies linearly with temperature from 300 down to 10 K, can be observed. The phonon-drag thermopower is completely suppressed due to the long electron-phonon relaxation time in the compound. These observations, together with the fact that the carrier concentration has negligible temperature dependence, indicate that the conduction electrons in F-doped SnO 2 films possess free-electron-like characteristics. At low temperatures, the electron-electron scattering dominates over the electron-phonon scattering and governs the inelastic scattering process. The theoretical predications of scattering rates of large- and small-energy-transfer electron-electron scattering processes, which are negligibly weak in three-dimensional disordered conventional conductors, are quantitatively tested in this lower carrier concentration and free-electron-like highly degenerate semiconductor.

  2. Role of different chelating agent in synthesis of copper doped tin oxide (Cu-SnO2) nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saravanakumar, B.; Anusiya, A.; Rani, B. Jansi; Ravi, G.; Yuvakkumar, R.

    2018-05-01

    An attempt was made to synthesis the copper doped tin oxide (Cu-SnO2) nanoparticles by adopting different chelating agents (NaOH, KOH and C2H2O4) by Sol-gel process. The synthesized products were characterized by XRD, Photoluminescence (PL), Infra- Red (FTIR) and SEM analysis. The XRD confirms the formation of Cu-SnO2 shows the maximum peak at 33.8° with lattice plane (101). The PL peak at 361 and 382 nm due to the recombination of electron in conduction band to valence band infers the optical properties. The IR spectra correspond to the peak at 551 and 620 cm-1 attributed to the characteristics peak for Cu-SnO2 nanoparticles. The SEM images for all three Cu-SnO2 nanoparticles formed by three chelating agent (NaOH, KOH and C2H2O4) facilitates the formation mechanism and the chelating agent Oxalic acid results in formation of nano flowers with diverse layers orientated in random direction. Further SEM studies reveal that, the Cu-SnO2 nanoparticles formed by oxalic acid could posses high surface area with large number layered structured enables the better electrochemical properties and its applications.

  3. Features of the band structure and conduction mechanisms of n-HfNiSn heavily doped with Y

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Romaka, V. A., E-mail: vromaka@polynet.lviv.ua [National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Pidstryhach Institute for Applied Problems of Mechanics and Mathematics (Ukraine); Rogl, P. [Universitet Wien, Institut für Physikalische Chemie (Austria); Romaka, V. V. [National University “Lvivska Politechnika” (Ukraine); Kaczorowski, D. [Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research (Poland); Krayovskyy, V. Ya. [National University “Lvivska Politechnika” (Ukraine); Stadnyk, Yu. V.; Horyn, A. M. [Ivan Franko Lviv National University (Ukraine)

    2017-02-15

    The crystalline and electronic structures, energy, kinetic, and magnetic characteristics of n-HfNiSn semiconductor heavily doped with Y acceptor impurity are studied in the ranges: T = 80–400 K, N{sub A}{sup Y} ≈ 1.9 × 10{sup 20}–5.7 × 10{sup 21} cm{sup –3} (x = 0.01–0.30), and H ≤ 10 kG. The nature of the mechanism of structural defect generation is determined, which leads to a change in the band gap and the degree of semiconductor compensation, the essence of which is the simultaneous reduction and elimination of structural donor-type defects as a result of the displacement of ~1% of Ni atoms from the Hf (4a) site, and the generation of structural acceptor-type defects by substituting Hf atoms with Y atoms at the 4a site. The results of calculations of the electronic structure of Hf{sub 1–x}Y{sub x}NiSn are in agreement with the experimental data. The discussion is performed within the Shklovskii–Efros model of a heavily doped and compensated semiconductor.

  4. Effect of P on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Sn-Bi Solder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WANG Xiao-jing

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Micro alloy metals P or P/Cu/Zn were added into Sn-Bi alloy to investigate the doping effects on microstructure, mechanical property, deformation fracture from the function of P in pure tin. The results show that doping 1%( mass fraction, same as below P to pure tin can improve the strength and stiffness, decrease the plasticity. Only 0.1%P additive degenerates the mechanical property of Sn-Bi alloy, this is related to the existing form of element P in the base metal and the microstructure of the base metal. In Sn base alloy, P is distributed in phase or grain boundaries in the form of Sn-P intermetallic compounds (IMC, restricting the diffusion and shifting of deformation. Therefore, Sn-1P alloy, IMC distributed in beta-tin base plays a role of strengthening in pure tin doped situation, in Sn-Bi alloy instead, enhancing the deformation mismatch under loading becoming the weak spots where cracks may initiate and propagate, and leading to brittle fracture . Finally, addition of P/Zn/Cu simultaneously to Sn-Bi alloy, the doping can optimize the microstructure, improve the strength and enhance the ultimate tensile strength (UTS of Sn-Bi alloys.

  5. Tunable dielectric properties of Barium Magnesium Niobate (BMN) doped Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) thin films by magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alema, Fikadu; Reinholz, Aaron; Pokhodnya, Konstantin

    2013-03-01

    We report on the tunable dielectric properties of Mg and Nb co-doped Ba0.45Sr0.55TiO3 (BST) thin film prepared by the magnetron sputtering using BST target (pure and doped with BaMg0.33Nb0.67O3 (BMN)) on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Al2O3 4'' wafers at 700 °C under oxygen atmosphere. The electrical measurements are conducted on 2432 metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitors using Pt as the top and bottom electrode. The crystalline structure, microstructure, and surface morphology of the films are analyzed and correlated to the films dielectric properties. The BMN doped and undoped BST films have shown tunabilities of 48% and 52%; and leakage current densities of 2.2x10-6 A/cm2 and 3.7x10-5 A/cm2, respectively at 0.5 MV/cm bias field. The results indicate that the BMN doped film exhibits a lower leakage current with no significant decrease in tunability. Due to similar electronegativity and ionic radii, it was suggested that both Mg2+ (accepter-type) and Nb5+ (donor-type) dopants substitutTi4+ ion in BST. The improvement in the film dielectric losses and leakage current with insignificant loss of tunability is attributed to the adversary effects of Mg2+ and Nb5+ in BST.

  6. Influence of sputtering deposition parameters on electrical and optical properties of aluminium-doped zinc oxide thin films for photovoltaic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krawczak, Ewelina; Agata, Zdyb; Gulkowski, Slawomir; Fave, Alain; Fourmond, Erwann

    2017-11-01

    Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCOs) characterized by high visible transmittance and low electrical resistivity play an important role in photovoltaic technology. Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) is one of the TCOs that can find its application in thin film solar cells (CIGS or CdTe PV technology) as well as in other microelectronic applications. In this paper some optical and electrical properties of ZnO:Al thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering method have been investigated. AZO layers have been deposited on the soda lime glass substrates with use of variable technological parameters such as pressure in the deposition chamber, power applied and temperature during the process. The composition of AZO films has been investigated by EDS method. Thickness and refraction index of the deposited layers in dependence on certain technological parameters of sputtering process have been determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The measurements of transmittance and sheet resistance were also performed.

  7. Martensitic transformation and phase stability of In-doped Ni-Mn-Sn shape memory alloys from first-principles calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao, H. B.; Yang, C. P.; Wang, R. L.; Luo, X.; Marchenkov, V. V.

    2014-01-01

    The effect of the alloying element Indium (In) on the martensitic transition, magnetic properties, and phase stabilities of Ni 8 Mn 6 Sn 2−x In x shape memory alloys has been investigated using the first-principles pseudopotential plane-wave method based on density functional theory. The energy difference between the austenitic and martensitic phases was found to increase with increasing In content, which implies an enhancement of the martensitic phase transition temperature (T M ). Moreover, the formation energy results indicate that In-doping increases the relative stability of Ni 8 Mn 6 Sn 2−x In x both in austenite and martensite. This results from a reduction in density of states near the Fermi level regions caused by Ni-3d–In-5p hybridization when Sn is replaced by In. The equilibrium equation of state results show that the alloys Ni 8 Mn 6 Sn 2−x In x exhibit an energetically degenerated effect for an In content of x = ∼1.5. This implies the coexistence of antiparallel and parallel configurations in the austenite.

  8. Magnetic disaccommodation in Sn substituted magnetite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Gomez, P.; Bendimya, K.; Francisco, C. de; Munoz, J.M.; Alejos, O.; Torres, C.

    2001-01-01

    The relaxation of the initial magnetic permeability has been measured in polycrystalline Sn-doped magnetite with nominal composition Sn x Fe 3-x O 4 with x ranging from x=0 to 0.6. In the temperature range between 80 and 500 K, the time decay of the initial permeability after sample demagnetization has been represented by means of isochronal disaccommodation curves, which show the presence of different relaxation processes at 250 K (IV' peak), 275 K (IV), 300 K (III), 400 K (II) and 440 K (I). This behavior is explained on the basis of the disaccommodation of vacancy-doped magnetite and another similar tetravalent substitution, as the previously analyzed Ti-doped magnetite

  9. Development of natively textured surface hydrogenated Ga-doped ZnO-TCO thin films for solar cells via magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Fei; Chen, Xin-liang; Geng, Xin-hua; Zhang, De-kun; Wei, Chang-chun; Huang, Qian; Zhang, Xiao-dan; Zhao, Ying

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. ► The directly deposited HGZO thin films present rough crater-type surface morphology. ► Typical HGZO thin film exhibits a high electron mobility of 41.3 cm 2 /V s and a relative low sheet resistance of ∼7.0 Ω. ► These HGZO thin films have high optical transmittances in the visible and near infrared region (∼380–1100 nm). ► A gradient H 2 growth method for fabricating HGZO thin films has been proposed in magnetron sputtering process. - Abstract: The main purposes are to obtain high quality transparent conductive oxide (TCO) based on zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films with high optical transparency in the visible and near infrared spectral range, high electrical conductivity and good light-scattering capability to enhance the path of the light inside the Si-based thin film solar cells. Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped ZnO (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via pulsed direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at a substrate temperature of 553 K. These natively textured HGZO thin films exhibit high optical transmittance (over 80%) in the visible and near infrared region (λ = 380–1100 nm) and excellent electrical properties. The optimized HGZO thin film with crater-type textured surface obtained at the hydrogen flow rate of ∼2.0 sccm exhibits a high electron mobility of 41.3 cm 2 /V s and a relatively low sheet resistance of ∼7.0 Ω. The influences of hydrogen flow rates on the surface morphology, electrical and optical properties of HGZO thin films were investigated in detail. In addition, we put forward a method of gradient H 2 growth technique for fabricating HGZO thin films so as to obtain rough surface structure with good light-scattering capability and high electrical conductivity. “Crater-like” surface feature size and optical transmittance

  10. Rf reactive sputtering of indium-tin-oxide films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tvarozek, V.; Novotny, I.; Harman, R.; Kovac, J.

    1986-01-01

    Films of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) have been deposited by rf reactive diode sputtering of metallic InSn alloy targets, or ceramic ITO targets, in an Ar and Ar+0 2 atmosphere. Electrical as well as optical properties of ITO films were controlled by varying sputtering parameters and by post-deposition heat-treatment in Ar, H 2 , N 2 , H 2 +N 2 ambients. The ITO films exhibited low resistivity approx. 2 x 10 -4 Ω cm, high transmittance approx. 90% in the visible spectral region and high reflectance approx. 80% in the near infra-red region. (author)

  11. Structure and characterization of Sn, Al co-doped zinc oxide thin films prepared by sol–gel dip-coating process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Min-I [Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China); Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, Institut Charles Delaunay, CNRS - UMR STMR 6279, Université de Technologie de Troyes (France); Huang, Mao-Chia [Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China); Legrand, David [Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China); Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, Institut Charles Delaunay, CNRS - UMR STMR 6279, Université de Technologie de Troyes (France); Lerondel, Gilles [Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, Institut Charles Delaunay, CNRS - UMR STMR 6279, Université de Technologie de Troyes (France); Lin, Jing-Chie, E-mail: jclin4046@gmail.com [Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan (China)

    2014-11-03

    Transparent conductive zinc oxide co-doped with tin and aluminum (TAZO) thin films were prepared via sol–gel dip-coating process. Non-toxic ethanol was used in this study instead of 2-methoxyethanol used in conventional work. Dip-coating was repeated several times to obtain relatively thick films consisting of six layers. The films were then annealed at 500 °C for 1 h in air or in vacuum and not subsequently as employed in other studies. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that all the samples revealed a single phase of hexagonal ZnO polycrystalline structure with a main peak of (002). The optical band gap and resistivity of the TAZO films were in the ranges of 3.28 to 3.32 eV and 0.52 to 575.25 Ω cm, respectively. The 1.0 at.% Sn, 1.0 at.% Al co-doped ZnO thin film annealed in vacuum was found to have a better photoelectrochemical performance with photocurrent density of about 0.28 mA/cm{sup 2} at a bias of 0.5 V vs. SCE under a 300 W Xe lamp illumination with the intensity of 100 mW/cm{sup 2}. Compared to the same dopant concentration but annealed in air (∼ 0.05 mA/cm{sup 2} bias 0.5 V vs. SCE), the photocurrent density of the film annealed in vacuum was 5 times higher than the film annealed in air. Through electrochemical measurements, we found that the dopant concentration of Sn plays an important role in TAZO that affected photocurrent density, stability of water splitting and anti-corrosion. - Highlights: • Al, Sn co-doped ZnO (TAZO) films was synthesized by sol–gel process. • The parameters of TAZO films were dopant concentration and annealed ambient. • The photoelectrochemical characteristics of TAZO films were investigated.

  12. Synthesis, electrochemical investigation and structural analysis of doped Li[Ni0.6Mn0.2Co0.2-xMx]O2 (x = 0, 0.05; M = Al, Fe, Sn) cathode materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eilers-Rethwisch, Matthias; Winter, Martin; Schappacher, Falko Mark

    2018-05-01

    Layered Ni-rich Li[Ni0.6Mn0.2Co0.2-xMx]O2 cathode materials (x = 0, 0.05; M = Al, Fe, Sn) are synthesized via a co-precipitation synthesis route and the effect of dopants on the structure and electrochemical performance is investigated. All synthesized materials show a well-defined layered structure of the hexagonal α-NaFeO2 phase investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Undoped LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 exhibits a discharge capacity of 170 mAh g-1 in Li-metal 2032 coin-type cells. Doped materials reach lower capacities between 145 mAh g-1 for Al and 160 mAh g-1 for Sn. However, all doped materials prolong the cycle life by up to 20%. Changes of the lattice parameter before and after delithiation yield information about structural stability. A smaller repulsion of the transition metal layer during delithiation in the Sn-doped material leads to a smaller expansion of the unit cell, which results in enhanced structural stability of the material. The improved structural stability of Sn-doped NMC cathode active material is proven by thermal investigations with the help of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA).

  13. Gas Sensing Properties of Metal Doped WO3 Thin Film Sensors Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition and DC Sputtering Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhuiyan, Md. Mosharraf Hossain; Ueda, Tsuyoshi; Ikegami, Tomoaki; Ebihara, Kenji

    2006-10-01

    Tungsten trioxide (WO3) thin films gas sensors were prepared by the KrF excimer pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The films were prepared on the quartz glass, silicon and also on the Al2O3 sensor substrates with platinum interdigitated electrodes. The effect of doping of the platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) or gold (Au) on the WO3 thin film was also investigated. These metals were doped to the WO3 thin film by the DC sputtering process during the PLD. The substrate temperature and the oxygen pressure were 400 °C and 100 mTorr, respectively, during the deposition. The films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The sensitivity of the prepared sensors to 60 ppm NO gas was examined using the two terminal resistance method in a chamber at atmospheric pressure and operating temperatures of 25-350 °C. The sensitivity of the WO3 thin films doped with Pt, Pd, or Au was found to be higher than that of the undoped WO3 thin film.

  14. Sputter-Deposited Indium–Tin Oxide Thin Films for Acetaldehyde Gas Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umut Cindemir

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Reactive dual-target DC magnetron sputtering was used to prepare In–Sn oxide thin films with a wide range of compositions. The films were subjected to annealing post-treatment at 400 °C or 500 °C for different periods of time. Compositional and structural characterizations were performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering and scanning electron microscopy. Films were investigated for gas sensing at 200 °C by measuring their resistance response upon exposure to acetaldehyde mixed with synthetic air. We found that the relative indium-to-tin content was very important and that measurable sensor responses could be recorded at acetaldehyde concentrations down to 200 ppb, with small resistance drift between repeated exposures, for both crystalline SnO2-like films and for amorphous films consisting of about equal amounts of In and Sn. We also demonstrated that it is not possible to prepare crystalline sensors with intermediate indium-to-tin compositions by sputter deposition and post-annealing up to 500 °C.

  15. Effect of substrate roughness and working pressure on photocatalyst of N-doped TiOx films prepared by reactive sputtering with air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seon-Hong; Yamasue, Eiji; Okumura, Hideyuki; Ishihara, Keiichi N.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Effect of substrate roughness and working pressure on the physical properties and the photocatalytic properties of the N-doped TiO x films are investigated. • Surface roughness of glass substrate has little influence on the film properties, but significant influence on the photocatalytic ability. • Working pressure has little influence on the produced phases and the atomic bonding configurations, but significant influence on the atomic concentration of the N-doped TiO x film. • High photocatalysis of N-doped TiO x film requires the permissible range of the N doping concentration which shows the interstitial complex N doping states in TiO 2 . - Abstract: N-doped TiO x films on the glass substrate were prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron reactive sputtering of Ti target in a mixed gas of argon and dry air. The effect of substrate roughness and working pressure on the physical properties and the photocatalytic properties of the N-doped TiO x films was investigated. The surface roughness of glass substrate has little influence on the film properties such as produced phases, lattice parameters, introduced nitrogen contents, and atomic bonding configurations, but significant influence on the surface roughness of film resulting in the variation of the photocatalytic ability. The working pressure has little influence on the produced phases and the atomic bonding configurations, but significant influence on the atomic concentration of the N-doped TiO x film, resulting in the large variation of optical, structural, and photocatalytic properties. It is suggested that the high photocatalysis of N-doped TiO x film requires a certain range of the N doping concentration which shows the interstitial complex N doping states in TiO 2

  16. Azobenzene mesogens mediated preparation of SnS nanocrystals encapsulated with in-situ N-doped carbon and their enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Meng; Zhou Yang; Chen Dongzhong; Duan Junfei

    2016-01-01

    In this work, azobenzene mesogen-containing tin thiolates have been synthesized, which possess ordered lamellar structures persistent to higher temperature and serve as liquid crystalline precursors. Based on the preorganized tin thiolate precursors, SnS nanocrystals encapsulated with in-situ N-doped carbon layer have been achieved through a simple solventless pyrolysis process with the azobenzene mesogenic thiolate precursor served as Sn, S, N, and C sources simultaneously. Thus prepared nanocomposite materials as anode of lithium ion batteries present a large specific capacity of 604.6 mAh·g −1 at a current density of 100 mA·g −1 , keeping a high capacity retention up to 96% after 80 cycles, and display high rate capability due to the synergistic effect of well-dispersed SnS nanocrystals and N-doped carbon layer. Such encouraging results shed a light on the controlled preparation of advanced nanocomposites based on liquid crystalline metallomesogen precursors and may boost their novel intriguing applications. (special topic)

  17. Crystallinity, etchability, electrical and mechanical properties of Ga doped amorphous indium tin oxide thin films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hyun-Jun; Song, Pung-Keun

    2014-01-01

    Indium tin oxide (ITO) and Ga-doped ITO (ITO:Ga) films were deposited on glass and polyimide (PI) substrates by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering using different ITO:Ga targets (doped-Ga: 0, 0.1 and 2.9 wt.%). The films were deposited with a thickness of 50 nm and then post-annealed at various temperatures (room temperature-250 °C) in a vacuum chamber for 30 min. The amorphous ITO:Ga (0.1 wt.% Ga) films post-annealed at 220 °C exhibited relatively low resistivity (4.622x10 −4 Ω cm), indicating that the crystallinity of the ITO:Ga films decreased with increasing Ga content. In addition, the amorphous ITO:Ga films showed a better surface morphology, etchability and mechanical properties than the ITO films. - Highlights: • The Ga doped indium tin oxide (ITO) films crystallized at higher temperatures than the ITO films. • The amorphisation of ITO films increases with increasing Ga content. • Similar resistivity was observed between crystalline ITO and amorphous Ga doped ITO films. • Etching property of ITO film was improved with increasing Ga content

  18. Thin Film growth and characterization of Ti doped ZnO by RF/DC magnetron sputtering

    KAUST Repository

    Baseer Haider, M.

    2015-01-01

    Thin film Ti doped ZnO (Ti-ZnO) film were grown on sapphire (0001) substrate by RF and DC magnetron sputtering. Films were grown at a substrate temperature of 250 °C with different Ti/Zn concentration. Surface chemical study of the samples was performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the stoichiometry and Ti/Zn ratio for all samples. Surface morphology of the samples were studied by atomic force microscopy. X-ray diffraction was carried out to determine the crystallinity of the film. No secondary phases of TixOy was observed. We observed a slight increase in the lattice constant with the increase in Ti concentration in ZnO. No ferromagnetic signal was observed for any of the samples. However, some samples showed super-paramagnetic phase. © 2015 Materials Research Society.

  19. Effect of metal ions doping (M = Ti4+, Sn4+) on the catalytic performance of MnOx/CeO2 catalyst for low temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Yan; Tang, Changjin; Dong, Lin

    2015-04-01

    Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China The abatement of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission from exhaust gases of diesel and stationary sources is a significant challenge for economic and social development. Ceria-based solid solutions were synthesized and used as supports to prepare MnOx/Ce0.8Ti0.2O2 and MnOx/Ce0.8Sn0.2O2 catalysts (Mn/CeTi and Mn/CeSn) for low temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3 (NH3-SCR). The effects of Ti or Sn doping on the catalytic performance of MnOx/CeO2 catalyst were investigated. Experimental results show that doping of Ti or Sn increases the NO removal efficiency of MnOx/CeO2. The NO conversion of Mn/CeTi catalyst is more than 90 % at temperature window of 175 ~ 300 °C under a gas hour space velocity of 60,000 mL.g-1.h-1. Modified catalysts are also found to exhibit greatly improved resistance to sulfur-poisoning. NH3-TPD results suggest that NH3 desorption on the catalysts is observed over a wide temperature range, due to the variability of adsorbed NH3 species with different thermal stabilities. Doping of Ti and Sn into Mn/CeO2 greatly increased the NH3 adsorption ability of the composites which could promote the SCR reaction. Characterization results also indicate that doping of Ti or Sn brings about catalysts with higher BET surface area, enhanced oxygen storage capacity and increased surface acidity.

  20. Influence of sputtering deposition parameters on electrical and optical properties of aluminium-doped zinc oxide thin films for photovoltaic applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krawczak Ewelina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCOs characterized by high visible transmittance and low electrical resistivity play an important role in photovoltaic technology. Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO is one of the TCOs that can find its application in thin film solar cells (CIGS or CdTe PV technology as well as in other microelectronic applications. In this paper some optical and electrical properties of ZnO:Al thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering method have been investigated. AZO layers have been deposited on the soda lime glass substrates with use of variable technological parameters such as pressure in the deposition chamber, power applied and temperature during the process. The composition of AZO films has been investigated by EDS method. Thickness and refraction index of the deposited layers in dependence on certain technological parameters of sputtering process have been determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The measurements of transmittance and sheet resistance were also performed.

  1. Preparation of Ga-doped ZnO films by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering with cylindrical rotating target for thin film solar cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Beom-Ki; Lee, Tae-Il; Park, Ji-Hyeon; Park, Kang-Il; Ahn, Kyung-Jun; Park, Sung-Kee; Lee, Woong; Myoung, Jae-Min

    2011-01-01

    Applicability of Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) films for thin film solar cells (TFSCs) was investigated by preparing GZO films via pulsed dc magnetron sputtering (PDMS) with rotating target. The GZO films showed improved crystallinity and increasing degree of Ga doping with increasing thickness to a limit of 1000 nm. The films also fulfilled requirements for the transparent electrodes of TFSCs in terms of electrical and optical properties. Moreover, the films exhibited good texturing potential based on etching studies with diluted HCl, which yielded an improved light trapping capability without significant degradation in electrical propreties. It is therefore suggested that the surface-textured GZO films prepared via PDMS and etching are promising candidates for indium-free transparent electrodes for TFSCs.

  2. Preparation of Ga-doped ZnO films by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering with cylindrical rotating target for thin film solar cell applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Beom-Ki; Lee, Tae-Il; Park, Ji-Hyeon; Park, Kang-Il; Ahn, Kyung-Jun; Park, Sung-Kee; Lee, Woong; Myoung, Jae-Min

    2011-11-01

    Applicability of Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) films for thin film solar cells (TFSCs) was investigated by preparing GZO films via pulsed dc magnetron sputtering (PDMS) with rotating target. The GZO films showed improved crystallinity and increasing degree of Ga doping with increasing thickness to a limit of 1000 nm. The films also fulfilled requirements for the transparent electrodes of TFSCs in terms of electrical and optical properties. Moreover, the films exhibited good texturing potential based on etching studies with diluted HCl, which yielded an improved light trapping capability without significant degradation in electrical propreties. It is therefore suggested that the surface-textured GZO films prepared via PDMS and etching are promising candidates for indium-free transparent electrodes for TFSCs.

  3. Mg{sub 2}Sn heterostructures on Si(111) substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dózsa, L., E-mail: dozsa@mfa.kfki.hu [Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1525 Budapest Pf, 49 (Hungary); Galkin, N.G. [Institute of Automation and Control Processes of FEB RAS, 5 Radio St., Vladivostok 690041 (Russian Federation); Far Eastern Federal University, 8 Sukhanova St., Vladivostok 690950 (Russian Federation); Pécz, B.; Osváth, Z.; Zolnai, Zs. [Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1525 Budapest Pf, 49 (Hungary); Németh, A. [Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, 1525 Budapest, P.O.B. 49 (Hungary); Galkin, K.N.; Chernev, I.M. [Institute of Automation and Control Processes of FEB RAS, 5 Radio St., Vladivostok 690041 (Russian Federation); Dotsenko, S.A. [Institute of Automation and Control Processes of FEB RAS, 5 Radio St., Vladivostok 690041 (Russian Federation); Far Eastern Federal University, 8 Sukhanova St., Vladivostok 690950 (Russian Federation)

    2017-05-31

    Highlights: • Investigations show that the nanostructures have significant changes during the applied regular experimental investigations. • It is especially true for transmittance electron microscopy, where the investigated layers have to be thinned near to the nanostructure size. • The time order of the applied experimental investigation has a dominant effect on the experimetal results. - Abstract: Thin un-doped and Al doped polycrystalline Mg-stannide films consisting mainly of Mg{sub 2}Sn semiconductor phase have been grown by deposition of Sn-Mg multilayers on Si(111) p-type wafers at room temperature and annealing at 150 °C. Rutherford backscattering measurement spectroscopy (RBS) were used to determine the amount of Mg and Sn in the structures. Raman spectroscopy has shown the layers contain Mg{sub 2}Sn phase. Cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) measurements have identified Mg{sub 2}Sn nanocrystallites in hexagonal and cubic phases without epitaxial orientation with respect to the Si(111) substrate. Significant oxygen concentration was found in the layer both by RBS and TEM. The electrical measurements have shown laterally homogeneous conductivity in the grown layer. The undoped Mg{sub 2}Sn layers show increasing resistivity with increasing temperature indicating the scattering process dominates the resistance of the layers, i.e. large concentration of point defects was generated in the layer during the growth process. The Al doped layer shows increase of the resistance at low temperature caused by freeze out of free carriers in the Al doped Mg{sub 2}Sn layer. The measurements indicate the necessity of protective layer grown over the Mg{sub 2}Sn layers, and a short time delay between sample preparation and cross sectionalTEM analysis, since the unprotected layer is degraded by the interaction with the ambient.

  4. A study on crystallization, optical and electrical properties of the advanced ZITO thin films using co-sputtering system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, K.J.; Hung, F.Y.; Chang, S.J.; Chang, S.P.; Mai, Y.C.; Hu, Z.S.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: Conductor and semiconductor ZITO transparent oxide thin films have been obtained by co-sputtering system. Therefore, we could fabricate a fully transparent ZITO optoelectronic device (thin film transistors or photodetector) in the future. The conducting ZITO was used as the electrode. The active layer of TFTs and photodetector employed the semiconducting ZITO. In addition, the investigation of luminescence characteristics on Zn-In-Sn-O (ZITO) film has never been reported. So, the multi-compound ZITO (ZnO combined ITO) films would be measured by photoluminescence (PL) to analyze the effects of ITO doping and oxygen gas content on emission characteristics of film. - Abstract: Multi-functions (conductor, semiconductor and insulator) ZnInSnO (ZITO) transparent oxide thin films have been obtained by a co-sputtering system using ITO target and ZnO target with oxygen gas contents (0-8%). The ZITO film containing a small ITO content had the lowest resistivity (good electron mobility) and higher optical transmittance. In addition, the influences of thermal treatments (post-annealing and substrate temperature) on electrical properties and optical transmittance of ZITO films were studied. Photoluminescence (PL) of the ZITO film confirmed the contribution of ITO content and oxygen gas content on the photo-emission. The ZITO film with zinc atomic concentration of 58 at.% was a good candidate for TCO material (3.08 x 10 -4 Ω cm). Under the substrate temperature of 100 deg. C or post-annealing temperature of 200 o C, the properties of ZITO film could be improved.

  5. Unraveling the Origin of Magnetism in Mesoporous Cu-Doped SnO₂ Magnetic Semiconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Junpeng; Menéndez, Enric; Guerrero, Miguel; Quintana, Alberto; Weschke, Eugen; Pellicer, Eva; Sort, Jordi

    2017-10-25

    The origin of magnetism in wide-gap semiconductors doped with non-ferromagnetic 3d transition metals still remains intriguing. In this article, insights in the magnetic properties of ordered mesoporous Cu-doped SnO₂ powders, prepared by hard-templating, have been unraveled. Whereas, both oxygen vacancies and Fe-based impurity phases could be a plausible explanation for the observed room temperature ferromagnetism, the low temperature magnetism is mainly and unambiguously arising from the nanoscale nature of the formed antiferromagnetic CuO, which results in a net magnetization that is reminiscent of ferromagnetic behavior. This is ascribed to uncompensated spins and shape-mediated spin canting effects. The reduced blocking temperature, which resides between 30 and 5 K, and traces of vertical shifts in the hysteresis loops confirm size effects in CuO. The mesoporous nature of the system with a large surface-to-volume ratio likely promotes the occurrence of uncompensated spins, spin canting, and spin frustration, offering new prospects in the use of magnetic semiconductors for energy-efficient spintronics.

  6. Nanoscale observation of surface potential and carrier transport in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin films grown by sputtering-based two-step process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Gee Yeong; Kim, Ju Ri; Jo, William; Son, Dae-Ho; Kim, Dae-Hwan; Kang, Jin-Kyu

    2014-01-08

    Stacked precursors of Cu-Zn-Sn-S were grown by radio frequency sputtering and annealed in a furnace with Se metals to form thin-film solar cell materials of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe). The samples have different absorber layer thickness of 1 to 2 μm and show conversion efficiencies up to 8.06%. Conductive atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy were used to explore the local electrical properties of the surface of CZTSSe thin films. The high-efficiency CZTSSe thin film exhibits significantly positive bending of surface potential around the grain boundaries. Dominant current paths along the grain boundaries are also observed. The surface electrical parameters of potential and current lead to potential solar cell applications using CZTSSe thin films, which may be an alternative choice of Cu(In,Ga)Se2.PACS number: 08.37.-d; 61.72.Mm; 71.35.-y.

  7. Effect of nitrogen doping on the structural, optical and electrical properties of indium tin oxide films prepared by magnetron sputtering for gallium nitride light emitting diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Lifei; Cheng, Guoan; Wang, Hougong; Wu, Yulong; Zheng, Ruiting; Ding, Peijun

    2017-01-01

    The indium tin oxide (ITO) films are prepared by the direct current magnetron sputtering technology with an ITO target in a mixture of argon and nitrogen gas at room temperature. The blue transmittance at 455 nm rises from 63% to 83% after nitrogen doping. The resistivity of the ITO film reduces from 4.6 × 10-3 (undoped film) to 5.7 × 10-4 Ω cm (N-doped film). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data imply that the binding energy of the In3d5/2 peak is declined 0.05 eV after nitrogen doping. The high resolution transmission electron microscope images show that the nitrogen loss density of the GaN/ITO interface with N-doped ITO film is smaller than that of the GaN/ITO interface with undoped ITO film. The forward turn-on voltage of gallium nitride light emitting diode reduces by 0.5 V after nitrogen doping. The fabrication of the N-doped ITO film is conducive to modify the N component of the interface between GaN and ITO layer.

  8. (V,Nb)-doped half Heusler alloys based on {Ti,Zr,Hf}NiSn with high ZT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogl, G.; Sauerschnig, P.; Rykavets, Z.; Romaka, V.V.; Heinrich, P.; Hinterleitner, B.; Grytsiv, A.; Bauer, E.; Rogl, P.

    2017-01-01

    Half Heusler alloys are among the most promising materials for thermoelectric generators as they can be used in a wide temperature range and their starting materials are abundant and cheap, the latter as long as no hafnium is involved. For Sb-doped Ti 0.5 Zr 0.25 Hf 0.25 NiSn Sakurada and Shutoh in 2008 have published ZT max  = 1.5 at 690 K, a value that hitherto was never reproduced independently. In this paper we successfully prepared Ti 0.5 Zr 0.25 Hf 0.25 NiSn with ZT max  = 1.5, however, at higher temperature (825 K). As the main goal is to produce hafnium – free half Heusler alloys, we investigated the influence of niobium or vanadium dopants on Ti x Zr 1−x NiSn 0.98 Sb 0.02 , reaching ZTs > 1.2 and thermal-electric conversion efficiencies up to 13.1%. For Hf-free n-type TiNiSn-based half Heusler alloys these values are unsurpassed. In order to further improve our thermoelectric materials our study is completed by electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity data in the low temperature range but also by mechanical properties (elastic moduli, hardness) at room temperature. The electrical properties have been discussed in comparison with DFT calculations.

  9. Serial co-sputtering. Development of a versatile coating technology and its characterization using the example of rate enhancement of metal oxides by co-doping; Serielles Co-Sputtern. Entwicklung einer flexiblen Beschichtungstechnologie und deren Charakterisierung am Beispiel der Ratenerhoehung von Metalloxiden durch Co-Dotierung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Austgen, Michael

    2011-09-19

    Focus of this work is the design and characterization of a versatile coating system based on magnetron sputter deposition. This technology consists of a rotary target (primary target) that will be sputtered at one position and also can be coated at a different position with a secondary material by another sputter process. This simultaneous operation and the serial order of two sputter processes is the serial co-sputter process. A highly elaborated gas separation allows the operation of the primary sputter process in a reactive gas atmosphere whereas the secondary process can be driven in a non-reactive atmosphere. Compared to conventional co-sputtering the gas separation enables a stable operation of the secondary sputter process even if reactive gas is added to the primary sputter process. To develop an understanding of the process dynamics of serial co-sputtering the rate enhancement of metal oxides by co-doping with heavy atoms has been investigated first. If heavy elements are added to the target material the collision cascades can be reflected back towards the target surface by a more efficient momentum transfer and therefore increase the sputtering rate. The addition of heavy atoms can be achieved by serial co-sputtering. In the secondary sputter process the heavy element will be sputter deposited onto the rotary target. When entering the erosion zone of the primary sputter process the heavy atoms will be partially sputtered away and partially recoil implanted beneath the target surface. The later will contribute to the sputter yield amplification effect described above. In this work the sputter yield amplification effect has been investigated for the metal oxides Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} by co-doping of a aluminum and titanium rotary target with the heavy element tungsten (Z=74) and bismuth (Z=83). The primary process variables are the O{sub 2}-gas flow which determines the working point of the primary sputtering process, the rotation speed of the

  10. Influence of Sn incorporation on the properties of CuInS2 thin films grown by vacuum evaporation method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zribi, M.; Rabeh, M. Ben; Brini, R.; Kanzari, M.; Rezig, B.

    2006-01-01

    Structural, morphological and optical properties of Sn-doped CuInS 2 thin films grown by double source thermal evaporation method were studied. Firstly, the films were annealed in vacuum after evaporation from 250 to 500 deg. C for Sn deposition time equal to 3 min. Secondly, the films deposited for several Sn evaporation times were annealed in vacuum after evaporation at 500 deg. C. The X-ray diffraction spectra indicated that polycrystalline Sn-doped CuInS 2 films were obtained and no Sn binary or ternary phases are observed for the Sn evaporation times equal to 5 min. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed the decrease of the surface crystallinity with increasing the Sn evaporation times and the annealing temperatures. The Sn-doped samples after annealing have bandgap energy of 1.42-1.50 eV. Furthermore, we found that the Sn-doped CuInS 2 thin films exhibit N-type conductivity after annealing

  11. Atomic and electronic structure of doped Si (111 ) (2 √{3 }×2 √{3 }) R 30∘ -Sn interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Seho; Ming, Fangfei; Huang, Ying-Tzu; Smith, Tyler S.; Peng, Xiyou; Tu, Weisong; Mulugeta, Daniel; Diehl, Renee D.; Snijders, Paul C.; Cho, Jun-Hyung; Weitering, Hanno H.

    2018-05-01

    The hole-doped Si (111 ) (2 √ 3 ×2 √ 3 ) R 30∘ -Sn interface exhibits a symmetry-breaking insulator-insulator transition below 100 K that appears to be triggered by electron tunneling into the empty surface-state bands. No such transition is seen in electron-doped systems. To elucidate the nature and driving force of this phenomenon, the structure of the interface must be resolved. Here we report on an extensive experimental and theoretical study, including scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS), dynamical low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) analysis, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, to elucidate the structure of this interface. We consider six different structure models, three of which have been proposed before, and conclude that only two of them can account for the majority of experimental data. One of them is the model according to Törnevik et al. [C. Törnevik et al., Phys. Rev. B 44, 13144 (1991), 10.1103/PhysRevB.44.13144] with a total Sn coverage of 14/12 monolayers (ML). The other is the "revised trimer model" with a total Sn coverage of 13/12 ML, introduced in this work. These two models are very difficult to discriminate on the basis of DFT or LEED alone, but STS data clearly point toward the Törnevik model as the most viable candidate among the models considered here. The STS data also provide additional insights regarding the electron-injection-driven phase transformation. Similar processes may occur at other metal/semiconductor interfaces, provided they are nonmetallic and can be doped. This could open up a new pathway toward the creation of novel surface phases with potentially very interesting and desirable electronic properties.

  12. {sup 119}Sn Mössbauer studies on ferromagnetic and photocatalytic Sn–TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ganeshraja, Ayyakannu Sundaram [Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Mössbauer Effect Data Center (China); Nomura, Kiyoshi [Tokyo University of Science, Photocatalysis International Research Center (Japan); Wang, Junhu, E-mail: wangjh@dicp.ac.cn [Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Mössbauer Effect Data Center (China)

    2016-12-15

    Diluted Sn doped TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals (Sn/Ti ratio: x ≤ 1.37 %) were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method using pure reagents without any surfactant and dispersant material. The XRD of these samples showed an anatase phase, anatase and rutile mixed phases, and a rutile phase of TiO{sub 2} and SnO{sub 2} with the increase of Sn dopant concentrations. {sup 119}Sn Mössbauer spectra gave the broad peaks, which were decomposed into doublets and sextets because almost all these samples showed magnetic hysteresis even at room temperature. The titanium oxides doped with x ≤ 0.12 % showed the relatively large magnetic hysteresis and high photocatalytic activity. Mössbauer spectra of samples doped with x > 0.3 % were analyzed by one doublet and two sextets although the samples showed weak ferromagnetism. Three kinds of Sn species may be distinguished as Sn {sup 4+} substituted TiO{sub 2} and two different magnetic arrangements of Sn doped TiO{sub 2}: one with more oxygen defects and other at the interface of TiO{sub 2} and precipitated SnO{sub 2} containing Ti atoms. The correlation between various amounts of Sn sites and photocatalytic activity and/ or magnetic property was discussed.

  13. Role of Cu in engineering the optical properties of SnO2 nanostructures: Structural, morphological and spectroscopic studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Virender; Singh, Kulwinder; Jain, Megha; Manju; Kumar, Akshay; Sharma, Jeewan; Vij, Ankush; Thakur, Anup

    2018-06-01

    We have carried out a systematic study to investigate the effect of Cu doping on the optical properties of SnO2 nanostructures synthesized by chemical route. Synthesized nanostructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-visible and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The Rietveld refinement analysis of XRD patterns of Cu-doped SnO2 samples confirmed the formation of single phase tetragonal rutile structure, however some localized distortion was observed for 5 mol% Cu-doped SnO2. Crystallite size was found to decrease with increase in dopant concentration. FE-SEM images indicated change in morphology of samples with doping. HR-TEM images revealed that synthesized nanostructures were nearly spherical and average crystallite size was in the range 12-21 nm. Structural defects, crystallinity and size effects on doping were investigated by Raman spectroscopy and results were complemented by FTIR spectroscopy. Optical band gap of samples was estimated from reflectance spectra. We have shown that band gap of SnO2 can be engineered from 3.62 to 3.82 eV by Cu doping. PL emission intensity increased as the doping concentration increased, which can be attributed to the development of defect states in the forbidden transition region of band gap of SnO2 with doping. We have also proposed a band model owing to defect states in SnO2 to explain the observed PL in Cu doped SnO2 nanostructures.

  14. A novel disposable electrochemical sensor for determination of carbamazepine based on Fe doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles modified screen-printed carbon electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lavanya, N. [Department of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003, TN (India); Department of Electronic Engineering, Chemistry and Materials Engineering, University of Messina, Messina 98166 (Italy); Sekar, C., E-mail: Sekar2025@gmail.com [Department of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003, TN (India); Ficarra, S.; Tellone, E. [Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Messina, Messina 98166 (Italy); Bonavita, A.; Leonardi, S.G.; Neri, G. [Department of Electronic Engineering, Chemistry and Materials Engineering, University of Messina, Messina 98166 (Italy)

    2016-05-01

    An effective strategy to fabricate a novel disposable screen printing carbon electrode modified by iron doped tin dioxide nanoparticles for carbamazepine (CBZ) detection has been developed. Fe–SnO{sub 2} (Fe = 0 to 5 wt.%) NPs were synthesized by a simple microwave irradiation method and assessed for their structural and morphological changes due to Fe doping into SnO{sub 2} matrix by X-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical behaviour of carbamazepine at the Fe–SnO{sub 2} modified screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry. Electron transfer coefficient α (0.63) and electron transfer rate constant k{sub s} (0.69 s{sup −1}) values of the 5 wt.% Fe–SnO{sub 2} modified SPCE indicate that the diffusion controlled process takes place on the electrode surface. The fabricated sensor displayed a good electrooxidation response towards the detection of CBZ at a lower oxidation potential of 0.8 V in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor showed fast and sensitive current response to CBZ over a wide linear range of 0.5–100 μM with a low detection limit of 92 nM. Furthermore, the practical application of the modified electrode has been investigated by the determination of CBZ in pharmaceutical products using standard addition method. - Highlights: • A novel mediator-free disposable screen printed carbon electrode has been fabricated based on Fe- SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles for determination of carbamazepine • The Fe-SnO{sub 2}/SPCE showed wide linear range (0.5–100 μM), low detection limit (92 nM), high sensitivity, good stability and reproducibility. • The carbamazepine sensor was successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical products with satisfactory recoveries.

  15. Electrochromism and photocatalysis in dendrite structured Ti:WO3 thin films grown by sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karuppasamy, A., E-mail: karuppasamy@psnacet.edu.in

    2015-12-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Dendrite structured Ti doped WO{sub 3} (WTO) thin films are grown by co-sputtering. • Sputtering condition influences structure and surface morphology of WTO films. • Titanium doping and annealing lead to dendritic surface structures in WTO films. • Structural, optical, electrochromic and photocatalytic properties of WTO films. • Enhanced electrochromism and photocatalysis in dendrite structured WTO thin films. - Abstract: Titanium doped tungsten oxide (Ti:WO{sub 3}) thin films with dendrite surface structures were grown by co-sputtering titanium and tungsten in Ar + O{sub 2} atmosphere. Ti:WO{sub 3} thin films were deposited at oxygen flow rates corresponding to pressures in the range 1.0 × 10{sup −3}–5.0 × 10{sup −3} mbar. Argon flow rate and sputtering power densities for titanium (2 W/cm{sup 2}) and tungsten (3 W/cm{sup 2}) were kept constant. Ti:WO{sub 3} films deposited at an oxygen pressure of 5 × 10{sup −3} mbar are found to be better electrochromic and photocatalytic. They have high optical modulation (80% at λ = 550 nm), coloration efficiency (60 cm{sup 2}/C at λ = 550 nm), electron/ion storage and removal capacity (Qc: −22.01 mC/cm{sup 2}, Qa: 17.72 mC/cm{sup 2}), reversibility (80%) and methylene blue decomposition rate (−1.38 μmol/l d). The combined effects of titanium doping, dendrite surface structures and porosity leads to significant enhancement in the electrochromic and photocatalytic properties of Ti:WO{sub 3} films.

  16. Electrochromism and photocatalysis in dendrite structured Ti:WO3 thin films grown by sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karuppasamy, A.

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Dendrite structured Ti doped WO 3 (WTO) thin films are grown by co-sputtering. • Sputtering condition influences structure and surface morphology of WTO films. • Titanium doping and annealing lead to dendritic surface structures in WTO films. • Structural, optical, electrochromic and photocatalytic properties of WTO films. • Enhanced electrochromism and photocatalysis in dendrite structured WTO thin films. - Abstract: Titanium doped tungsten oxide (Ti:WO 3 ) thin films with dendrite surface structures were grown by co-sputtering titanium and tungsten in Ar + O 2 atmosphere. Ti:WO 3 thin films were deposited at oxygen flow rates corresponding to pressures in the range 1.0 × 10 −3 –5.0 × 10 −3 mbar. Argon flow rate and sputtering power densities for titanium (2 W/cm 2 ) and tungsten (3 W/cm 2 ) were kept constant. Ti:WO 3 films deposited at an oxygen pressure of 5 × 10 −3 mbar are found to be better electrochromic and photocatalytic. They have high optical modulation (80% at λ = 550 nm), coloration efficiency (60 cm 2 /C at λ = 550 nm), electron/ion storage and removal capacity (Qc: −22.01 mC/cm 2 , Qa: 17.72 mC/cm 2 ), reversibility (80%) and methylene blue decomposition rate (−1.38 μmol/l d). The combined effects of titanium doping, dendrite surface structures and porosity leads to significant enhancement in the electrochromic and photocatalytic properties of Ti:WO 3 films.

  17. Mobility-electron density relation probed via controlled oxygen vacancy doping in epitaxial BaSnO3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koustav Ganguly

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The recently discovered high room temperature mobility in wide band gap semiconducting BaSnO3 is of exceptional interest for perovskite oxide heterostructures. Critical open issues with epitaxial films include determination of the optimal dopant and understanding the mobility-electron density (μ-n relation. These are addressed here through a transport study of BaSnO3(001 films with oxygen vacancy doping controlled via variable temperature vacuum annealing. Room temperature n can be tuned from 5 × 1019 cm−3 to as low as 2 × 1017 cm−3, which is shown to drive a weak- to strong-localization transition, a 104-fold increase in resistivity, and a factor of 28 change in μ. The data reveal μ ∝ n0.65 scaling over the entire n range probed, important information for understanding mobility-limiting scattering mechanisms.

  18. Terbium doped SnO2 nanoparticles as white emitters and SnO2:5Tb/Fe3O4 magnetic luminescent nanohybrids for hyperthermia application and biocompatibility with HeLa cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Laishram Priyobarta; Singh, Ningthoujam Premananda; Srivastava, Sri Krishna

    2015-04-14

    SnO2:5Tb (SnO2 doped with 5 at% Tb(3+)) nanoparticles were synthesised by a polyol method and their luminescence properties at different annealing temperatures were studied. Characterization of nanomaterials was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). XRD studies indicate that the prepared nanoparticles were of tetragonal structures. Upon Tb(3+) ion incorporation into SnO2, Sn(4+) changes to Sn(2+) and, on annealing again at higher temperature, Sn(2+) changes to Sn(4+). The prepared nanoparticles were spherical in shape. Sn-O vibrations were found from the FTIR studies. In photoluminescence studies, the intensity of the emission peaks of Tb(3+) ions increases with the increase of annealing temperature, and emission spectra lie in the region of white emission in the CIE diagram. CCT calculations show that the SnO2:5Tb emission lies in cold white emission. Quantum yields up to 38% can be obtained for 900 °C annealed samples. SnO2:5Tb nanoparticles were well incorporated into the PVA polymer and such a material incorporated into the polymer can be used for display devices. The SnO2:5Tb/Fe3O4 nanohybrid was prepared and investigated for hyperthermia applications at different concentrations of the nanohybrid. This achieves a hyperthermia temperature (42 °C) under an AC magnetic field. The hybrid nanomaterial SnO2:5Tb/Fe3O4 was found to exhibit biocompatibility with HeLa cells (human cervical cancer cells) at concentrations up to 74% for 100 μg L(-1). Also, this nanohybrid shows green emission and thus it will be helpful in tracing magnetic nanoparticles through optical imaging in vivo and in vitro application.

  19. Characteristics of sputtered Al-doped ZnO films for transparent electrodes of organic thin-film transistor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Yong Seob; Kim, Han-Ki

    2011-01-01

    Aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) thin-films were deposited with various RF powers at room temperature by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. The electrical properties of the AZO film were improved with the increasing RF power. These results can be explained by the improvement of the crystallinity in the AZO film. We fabricated the organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) of the bottom gate structure using pentacene active and poly-4-vinyl phenol gate dielectric layers on the indium tin oxide gate electrode, and estimated the device properties of the OTFTs including drain current-drain voltage (I D -V D ), drain current-gate voltage (I D -V G ), threshold voltage (V T ), on/off ratio and field effect mobility. The AZO film that grown at 160 W RF power exhibited low resistivity (1.54 x 10 -3 Ω.cm), high crystallinity and uniform surface morphology. The pentacene thin-film transistor using the AZO film that's fabricated at 160 W RF power exhibited good device performance such as the mobility of 0.94 cm 2 /V s and the on/off ratio of ∼ 10 5 . Consequently, the performance of the OTFT such as larger field-effect carrier mobility was determined the conductivity of the AZO source/drain (S/D) electrode. AZO films prepared at room temperature by the sputtering method are suitable for the S/D electrodes in the OTFTs.

  20. Transparent Ga and Zn co-doped In2O3 electrode prepared by co-sputtering of Ga:In2O3 and Zn:In2O3 targets at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Jin-A; Kim, Han-Ki

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the characteristics of Ga:In 2 O 3 (IGO) co-sputtered Zn:In 2 O 3 (IZO) films prepared by dual target direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at room temperature in a pure Ar atmosphere for transparent electrodes in IGZO-based TFTs. Electrical, optical, structural and surface properties of Ga and Zn co-doped In 2 O 3 (IGZO) electrodes were investigated as a function of IGO and IZO target DC power during the co-sputtering process. Unlike semiconducting InGaZnO 4 films, which were widely used as a channel layer in the oxide TFTs, the co-sputtered IGZO films showed a high transmittance (91.84%) and low resistivity (4.1 x 10 -4 Ω cm) at optimized DC power of the IGO and IZO targets, due to low atomic percent of Ga and Zn elements. Furthermore, the IGO co-sputtered IZO films showed a very smooth and featureless surface and an amorphous structure regardless of the IGO and IZO DC power due to the room temperature sputtering process. This indicates that co-sputtered IGZO films are a promising S/D electrode in the IGZO-based TFTs due to their low resistivity, high transmittance and same elements with channel InGaZnO 4 layer.

  1. Visible and infrared photoluminescence from erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals produced by rf sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cerqueira, M.F.; Alpuim, P. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade do Minho, Braga (Portugal); Losurdo, M. [Plasma Chemistry Research Center, CNR, Bari (Italy); Monteiro, T.; Soares, M.J.; Peres, M. [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro (Portugal); Stepikova, M. [Institute for Physics of Microstructures RAS, 603600 Nizhnij Novgorod GSP-105 (Russian Federation)

    2007-06-15

    Erbium-doped low-dimensional Si films with different microstructures were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on glass substrates by varying the hydrogen flow rate during deposition. Amorphous, micro- and nanocrystalline samples, consisting of Si nanocrystalls embedded in silicon-based matrices with different structures, were achieved with optical properties in the visible and IR depending on nanocrystalline fraction and matrix structure and chemical composition. Structural characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction in the grazing incidence geometry and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical composition was studied using RBS/ERD techniques. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was combined with the previous techniques to further resolve the film microstructure and composition. In particular, the distribution along the film thickness of the volume fractions of nanocrystalline/amorphous silicon and SiO{sub x} phases has been obtained. In this contribution we discuss visible and infrared photoluminescence as a function of sample microstructure and of the oxygen/hydrogen concentration ratio present in the matrix. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  2. Experimental results on performance improvement of doped carbon-base materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Zengyu

    2002-01-01

    Carbon-base materials is one of candidate plasma facing materials and have been widely used in current tokamak facilities in the world. But some defect properties are presented on high yield of chemical sputtering , high yield of radiation enhancement sublimate (RES), cracking after heat flux and so on. It can be improved by doped some little other elements into the carbon-base materials, such as boron, silicon, titanium and so on. Experimental results indicate that it is feasible and successful to improve thermo-physics and chemical properties of carbon-base materials by multi-element doped. Doped 12 % silicon can strained RES and chemical sputtering yield do not changed. It is the same level of chemical sputtering yield for B 4 C from 3 % to 10 % , but their resistance thermal shock properties ability increases with B 4 C increases

  3. Nanocrystalline SnO2:F Thin Films for Liquid Petroleum Gas Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sutichai Chaisitsak

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports the improvement in the sensing performance of nanocrystalline SnO2-based liquid petroleum gas (LPG sensors by doping with fluorine (F. Un-doped and F-doped tin oxide films were prepared on glass substrates by the dip-coating technique using a layer-by-layer deposition cycle (alternating between dip-coating a thin layer followed by a drying in air after each new layer. The results showed that this technique is superior to the conventional technique for both improving the film thickness uniformity and film transparency. The effect of F concentration on the structural, surface morphological and LPG sensing properties of the SnO2 films was investigated. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM and X-ray diffraction pattern measurements showed that the obtained thin films are nanocrystalline SnO2 with nanoscale-textured surfaces. Gas sensing characteristics (sensor response and response/recovery time of the SnO2:F sensors based on a planar interdigital structure were investigated at different operating temperatures and at different LPG concentrations. The addition of fluorine to SnO2 was found to be advantageous for efficient detection of LPG gases, e.g., F-doped sensors are more stable at a low operating temperature (300 °C with higher sensor response and faster response/recovery time, compared to un-doped sensor materials. The sensors based on SnO2:F films could detect LPG even at a low level of 25% LEL, showing the possibility of using this transparent material for LPG leak detection.

  4. Electrical properties of tin-doped zinc oxide nanostructures doped at different dopant concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nasir, M. F.; Zainol, M. N.; Hannas, M.; Mamat, M. H.; Rusop, Mohamad; Rahman, S. A.

    2016-01-01

    This project has been focused on the electrical and optical properties respectively on the effect of Tin doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films at different dopant concentrations. These thin films were doped with different Sn dopant concentrations at 1 at%, 2 at%, 3 at%, 4 at% and 5 at% was selected as the parameter to optimize the thin films quality while the annealing temperature is fixed 500 °C. Sn doped ZnO solutions were deposited onto the glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating method. This project was involved with three phases, which are thin films preparation, deposition and characterization. The thin films were characterized using Current Voltage (I-V) measurement and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer Lambda 750) for electrical properties and optical properties. The electrical properties show that the resistivity is the lowest at 4 at% Sn doping concentration with the value 3.08 × 10"3 Ωcm"−"1. The absorption coefficient spectrum obtained shows all films exhibit very low absorption in the visible (400-800 nm) and near infrared (NIR) (>800 nm) range but exhibit high absorption in the UV range.

  5. Electrical properties of tin-doped zinc oxide nanostructures doped at different dopant concentrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nasir, M. F., E-mail: babaibaik2002@yahoo.com; Zainol, M. N., E-mail: nizarzainol@yahoo.com; Hannas, M., E-mail: mhannas@gmail.com [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Mamat, M. H., E-mail: mhmamat@salam.uitm.edu.my; Rusop, Mohamad, E-mail: rusop@salam.uitm.edu.my [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), Institute of Science (IOS), Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Rahman, S. A., E-mail: saadah@um.edu.my [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2016-07-06

    This project has been focused on the electrical and optical properties respectively on the effect of Tin doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films at different dopant concentrations. These thin films were doped with different Sn dopant concentrations at 1 at%, 2 at%, 3 at%, 4 at% and 5 at% was selected as the parameter to optimize the thin films quality while the annealing temperature is fixed 500 °C. Sn doped ZnO solutions were deposited onto the glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating method. This project was involved with three phases, which are thin films preparation, deposition and characterization. The thin films were characterized using Current Voltage (I-V) measurement and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer Lambda 750) for electrical properties and optical properties. The electrical properties show that the resistivity is the lowest at 4 at% Sn doping concentration with the value 3.08 × 10{sup 3} Ωcm{sup −1}. The absorption coefficient spectrum obtained shows all films exhibit very low absorption in the visible (400-800 nm) and near infrared (NIR) (>800 nm) range but exhibit high absorption in the UV range.

  6. Composition and crystal structure of N doped TiO2 film deposited at different O2 flow rate by direct current sputtering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Wanyu; Ju, Dongying; Chai, Weiping

    2011-06-01

    N doped Ti02 films were deposited by direct current pulse magnetron sputtering system at room temperature. The influence of 02 flow rate on the crystal structure of deposited films was studied by Stylus profilometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometer. The results indicate that the 02 flow rate strongly controls the growth behavior and crystal structure of N doped Ti02 film. It is found that N element mainly exists as substitutional doped state and the chemical stiochiometry is near to TiO1.68±0.06N0.11±0.01 for all film samples. N doped Ti02 film deposited with 2 sccm (standard-state cubic centimeter per minute) 02 flow rate is amorphous structure with high growth rate, which contains both anatase phase and rutile phase crystal nucleuses. In this case, the film displays the mix-phase of anatase and rutile after annealing treatment. While N doped Ti02 film deposited with 12 cm(3)/min 02 flow rate displays anatase phase before and after annealing treatment. And it should be noticed that no TiN phase appears for all samples before and after annealing treatment. Copyright © 2011 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Nanosized Thin SnO2 Layers Doped with Te and TeO2 as Room Temperature Humidity Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biliana Georgieva

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the humidity sensing properties of layers prepared by a new method for obtaining doped tin oxide are studied. Different techniques—SEM, EDS in SEM, TEM, SAED, AES and electrical measurements—are used for detailed characterization of the thin layers. The as-deposited layers are amorphous with great specific area and low density. They are built up of a fine grained matrix, consisting of Sn- and Te-oxides, and a nanosized dispersed phase of Te, Sn and/or SnTe. The chemical composition of both the matrix and the nanosized particles depends on the ratio RSn/Te and the evaporation conditions. It is shown that as-deposited layers with RSn/Te ranging from 0.4 to 0.9 exhibit excellent characteristics as humidity sensors operating at room temperature—very high sensitivity, good selectivity, fast response and short recovery period. Ageing tests have shown that the layers possess good long-term stability. Results obtained regarding the type of the water adsorption on the layers’ surface help better understand the relation between preparation conditions, structure, composition and humidity sensing properties.

  8. The influence of sequence of precursor films on CZTSe thin films prepared by ion-beam sputtering deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jun; Liang, Guangxing; Zeng, Yang; Fan, Ping; Hu, Juguang; Luo, Jingting; Zhang, Dongping

    2017-02-01

    The CuZnSn (CZT) precursor thin films are grown by ion-beam sputtering Cu, Zn, Sn targets with different orders and then sputtering Se target to fabricate Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) absorber thin films on molybdenum substrates. They are annealed in the same vacuum chamber at 400 °C. The characterization methods of CZTSe thin films include X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) in order to study the crystallographic properties, composition, surface morphology, electrical properties and so on. The results display that the CZTSe thin films got the strongest diffraction peak intensity and were with good crystalline quality and its morphology appeared smooth and compact with a sequence of Cu/Zn/Sn/Se, which reveals that the expected states for CZTSe are Cu1+, Zn2+, Sn4+, Se2+. With the good crystalline quality and close to ideal stoichiometric ratio the resistivity of the CZTSe film with the sequence of Cu/Zn/Sn/Se is lower, whose optical band gap is about 1.50 eV. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61404086), the Basical Research Program of Shenzhen (Nos. JCYJ20150324140036866, JCYJ20150324141711581), and the Natural Science Foundation of SZU (No. 2014017).

  9. Luminescence of rare earth-doped Si-ZrO2 co-sputtered films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rozo, Carlos; Jaque, Daniel; Fonseca, Luis F.; Sole, Jose Garcia

    2008-01-01

    Er-doped Si-yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin film samples were prepared by rf co-sputtering. Chemical composition of the samples was determined using energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and the structure of the films by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The samples were annealed to 700 deg. C. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements were performed for the visible and infrared. By exciting with the 488-nm-laser line the Er 3+ emissions 2 H 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 , 4 S 3/2 → 4 I 15/2 , 4 F 9/2 → 4 I 15/2 and a narrow 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission were observed. The 4 I 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 emissions for the same excitation wavelength were weak. Excitation wavelength dependence of the 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emissions indicated that the emissions were due to a combination of energy transfer from Si nanoparticles (np) to Er ions and energy transfer from defects in the matrix to the Er ions for excitations resonant with the energy levels of such defects. 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission decay measurements show two decaying populations of Er ions according to their locations with respect to other ions or any non-radiative defects. 4 I 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission dependence on 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 emission showed that the former was possibly due to a combination of downconversion from higher levels of the Er ions, energy transfer from Si nanoparticles and upconversion transfer processes. We concluded that Er-doped Si-YSZ is a promising material for photonic applications being easily broadband excited using low-pumping powers

  10. Heteroepitaxial Ge-on-Si by DC magnetron sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Steglich

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The growth of Ge on Si(100 by DC Magnetron Sputtering at various temperatures is studied by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Smooth heteroepitaxial Ge films are prepared at relatively low temperatures of 380°C. Typical Stransky-Krastanov growth is observed at 410°C. At lower temperatures (320°C, films are essentially amorphous with isolated nanocrystallites at the Si-Ge interface. A minor oxygen contamination at the interface, developing after ex-situ oxide removal, is not seen to hinder epitaxy. Compensation of dislocation-induced acceptors in Ge by sputtering from n-doped targets is proposed.

  11. Reactive-environment, hollow cathode sputtering: Basic characteristics and application to Al2O3, doped ZnO, and In2O3:Mo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delahoy, A.E.; Guo, S.Y.; Paduraru, C.; Belkind, A.

    2004-01-01

    A method for thin-film deposition has been studied. The method is based on metal sputtering in a hollow cathode configuration with supply of a reactive gas in the vicinity of the substrate. The working gas and entrained sputtered atoms exit the cathode through an elongated slot. The reactive gas is thereby largely prevented from reaching the target. The basic operation of the cathode was studied using a Cu target and pulsed power excitation. These studies included the dependence of deposition rate on power, pressure, and flow rate, film thickness profiles, and film resistivity as a function of substrate conditions. Modeling was conducted to calculate the gas velocity distribution and pressure inside the cavity. Al 2 O 3 films were prepared in a reactive environment of oxygen by sputtering an Al target. It was demonstrated that only a very small amount of oxygen passing through the cathode will oxidize (poison) the target, whereas large quantities of oxygen supplied externally to the cathode need not affect the target at all. A very stable discharge and ease of Al 2 O 3 formation were realized in this latter mode. The method was applied to the preparation of transparent, conductive films of ZnO doped with either Al or B. High deposition rates were achieved, and, at appropriate oxygen flow rates, low film resistivities. High-mobility In 2 O 3 :Mo transparent conductors were also prepared, with resistivities as low as 1.9x10 -4 Ω cm. Scaling relations for hollow cathodes, and deposition efficiency, and process comparisons between magnetron sputtering and linear, reactive-environment, hollow cathode sputtering are presented

  12. Study on Optoelectronic Characteristics of Sn-Doped ZnO Thin Films on Poly(ethylene terephthalate) and Indium Tin Oxide/Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Flexible Substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Chi-Hwa; Chen, Mi; Chiou, Chin-Lung; Liu, Xing-Yang; Weng, Lin-Song; Koo, Horng-Show

    2013-05-01

    Transparent conductive oxides of Sn-doped ZnO (SZO) films with doping weight ratios of 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 wt % have been deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and PET flexible substrates at room temperature by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Resultant films of SZO on ITO/PET and PET flexible substrates are amorphous in phase. It is found that undoped and SZO films on ITO/PET is anomalously better than films on PET in optical transmittance in the range of longer wavelength, possibly due to the refraction index difference between SZO, ITO films, and PET substrates, Burstein-Moss effect and optical interference of SZO/ITO bilayer films and substrate materials, and furthermore resulting in the decrement of reflection. The lowest electrical resistivity (ρ) of 4.0 wt % SZO films on flexible substrates of PET and ITO/PET are 3.8×10-2 and ρ= 1.2×10-2 Ω.cm, respectively. It is found that electrical and optical properties of the resultant films are greatly dependent on various amount of Sn element doping effect and substrate material characteristics.

  13. Optical studies on Sn, K, Hg{sub 2} I{sub 2}, and I{sub 2}-doped {alpha}-HgI{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzalez, M.; Ibarra, A.; Willmott, C.; Pascual, J. L.; Dieguez, E.

    1997-07-01

    The influence on the optical properties of {alpha}-mercuric iodide stoichiometric deviations have been investigated. The optical behaviour of samples doped with Sn (IV) and K were also studied. To prepare mercury-rich and iodide rich samples (non-stoichiometric compounds), vapour phase crystal growth was performed on a closed ampoule with a mercurous iodide or iodine atmosphere, respectively. Dopants were introduced through the vapour phase by means of Snl{sub 4} and KI vapours during crystal growth. A decrease in the energy gap is deduced from the optical absorption spectra taken on non-stoichiometric and doped samples. Photoluminescence was also performed as a function of temperature while samples were under uniaxial pressure. Differences between doped, non-stoichiometric and pure samples are observed on luminescence emission wavelength and intensity.

  14. Compositionally modulated multilayer diamond-like carbon coatings with AlTiSi multi-doping by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Wei; Gao, Xiang; Liu, Jingmao; Kwon, Se-Hun; Wang, Qimin

    2017-12-01

    Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings with AlTiSi multi-doping were prepared by a reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering with using a gas mixture of Ar and C2H2 as precursor. The composition, microstructure, compressive stress, and mechanical property of the as-deposited DLC coatings were studied systemically by using SEM, XPS, TEM, Raman spectrum, stress-tester, and nanoindentation as a function of the Ar fraction. The results show that the doping concentrations of the Al, Ti and Si atoms increased as the Ar fraction increased. The doped Ti and Si preferred to bond with C while the doped Al mainly existed in oxidation state without bonding with C. As the doping concentrations increased, TiC carbide nanocrystals were formed in the DLC matrix. The microstructure of coatings changed from an amorphous feature dominant AlTiSi-DLC to a carbide nanocomposite AlTiSi-DLC with TiC nanoparticles embedding. In addition, the coatings exhibited the compositionally modulated multilayer consisting of alternate Al-rich layer and Al-poor layer due to the rotation of the substrate holder and the diffusion behavior of the doped Al which tended to separate from C and diffuse towards the DLC matrix surface owing to its weak interactions with C. The periodic Al-rich layer can effectively release the compressive stress of the coatings. On the other hand, the hard TiC nanoparticles were conducive to the hardness of the coatings. Consequently, the DLC coatings with relatively low residual stress and high hardness could be acquired successfully through AlTiSi multi-doping. It is believed that the AlCrSi multi-doping may be a good way for improving the comprehensive properties of the DLC coatings. In addition, we believe that the DLC coatings with Al-rich multilayered structure have a high oxidation resistance, which allows the DLC coatings application in high temperature environment.

  15. Modification of the electronic properties of As2Se3 films by erbium using ion-plasma sputtering method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prikhodko, O.Yu.; Sarsembinov, Sh.Sh.; Ryaguzov, A.P.; Maksimova, S.Ya.; Chuprynin, A.S.

    2003-01-01

    At present one of the vital problems of semiconductor materials studies is production of new light emitting materials for fiber optics, namely for light-emitting diode, emitting at room temperature in the range of minimum absorption of quartz optic fiber. It is well-known that heterostructures based on amorphous semiconductors, containing large concentrations of rare-earth elements have such properties. The method of ion-plasma co-sputtering (IPCM) of the original and doping materials allows us to obtain amorphous semiconductor films with large impurity concentration. This method was used to produce amorphous films of chalcogenide vitreous semiconductors (ChVS), doped with impurities of different chemical nature. But the capability of IPCM for ChVS doping with rare-earth elements has not been studied well yet. Therefore it is interesting to obtain amorphous films of arsenic selenide doped with erbium using IPCM and study its electronic properties. The films were produced using high frequency (13.56 MHz) ion-plasma co-sputtering of combined target of vitreous As 2 Se 3 and a metal. The sputtering of the target was conducted in argon atmosphere. Er concentration in the films varied between 0 and 4 atomic percent. Amorphism of the structure of the obtained films was monitored using X-ray diffraction methods. Electrical and optical properties of Er-doped As 2 Se 3 films and the charge carrier transportation processes were studied. It was determined that doped films significantly differ from the pure ones in the values of main electronic parameters: conductivity, energy activation of conductivity, optical band-gap, drift mobility of electrons and holes and mobility activation energy. Note that common rules of change of electronic parameters of As 2 Se 3 films affected by Er doping agree with the rules, established during modification of As 2 Se 3 films with dopes of transition metals with incomplete 3d-shell (Fe, Ni). Analysis of the obtained results showed that doing

  16. The role of Co impurities and oxygen vacancies in the ferromagnetism of Co-doped SnO2: GGA and GGA+U studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Hongxia; Yan Yu; Mohammed, Y. Sh.; Du Xiaobo; Li Kai; Jin Hanmin

    2009-01-01

    The electronic structure and ferromagnetic stability of Co-doped SnO 2 are studied using the first-principle density functional method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U schemes. The addition of effective U Co transforms the ground state of Co-doped SnO 2 to insulating from half-metallic and the coupling between the nearest neighbor Co spins to weak antimagnetic from strong ferromagnetic. GGA+U Co calculations show that the pure substitutional Co defects in SnO 2 cannot induce the ferromagnetism. Oxygen vacancies tend to locate near Co atoms. Their presence increases the magnetic moment of Co and induces the ferromagnetic coupling between two Co spins with large Co-Co distance. The calculated density of state and spin density distribution calculated by GGA+U Co show that the long-range ferromagnetic coupling between two Co spins is mediated by spin-split impurity band induced by oxygen vacancies. More charge transfer from impurity to Co-3d states and larger spin split of Co-3d and impurity states induced by the addition of U Co enhance the ferromagnetic stability of the system with oxygen vacancies. By applying a Coulomb U O on O 2 s orbital, the band gap is corrected for all calculations and the conclusions derived from GGA+U Co calculations are not changed by the correction of band gap.

  17. Highly improved ethanol gas-sensing performance of mesoporous nickel oxides nanowires with the stannum donor doping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Junqi; Li, Xiaoqing; Han, Yanbing; Xu, Jingcai; Jin, Hongxiao; Jin, Dingfeng; Peng, Xiaoling; Hong, Bo; Li, Jing; Yang, Yanting; Ge, Hongliang; Wang, Xinqing

    2018-06-01

    Mesoporous nickel oxides (NiO) and stannum(Sn)-doped NiO nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by using SBA-15 templates with the nanocasting method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm and UV–vis spectrum were used to characterize the phase structure, components and microstructure of the as-prepared samples. The gas-sensing analysis indicated that the Sn-doping could greatly improve the ethanol sensitivity for mesoporous NiO NWs. With the increasing Sn content, the ethanol sensitivity increased from 2.16 for NiO NWs up to the maximum of 15.60 for Ni0.962Sn0.038O1.038, and then decreased to 12.24 for Ni0.946Sn0.054O1.054 to 100 ppm ethanol gas at 340 °C. The high surface area from the Sn-doping improved the adsorption of oxygen on the surface of NiO NWs, resulting in the smaller surface resistance in air. Furthermore, owing to the recombination of the holes in hole-accumulation lay with the electrons from the donor impurity level and the increasing the body defects for Sn-doping, the total resistance in ethanol gas enhanced greatly. It was concluded that the sensitivity of Sn-doped NiO NWs based sensor could be greatly improved by the higher surface area and high-valence donor substitution from Sn-doping.

  18. The n-type conduction of indium-doped Cu{sub 2}O thin films fabricated by direct current magnetron co-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cai, Xing-Min; Su, Xiao-Qiang; Ye, Fan, E-mail: yefan@szu.edu.cn; Wang, Huan; Tian, Xiao-Qing; Zhang, Dong-Ping; Fan, Ping; Luo, Jing-Ting; Zheng, Zhuang-Hao; Liang, Guang-Xing [Institute of Thin Film Physics and Applications, School of Physical Science and Technology and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Roy, V. A. L. [Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) and Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (China)

    2015-08-24

    Indium-doped Cu{sub 2}O thin films were fabricated on K9 glass substrates by direct current magnetron co-sputtering in an atmosphere of Ar and O{sub 2}. Metallic copper and indium disks were used as the targets. X-ray diffraction showed that the diffraction peaks could only be indexed to simple cubic Cu{sub 2}O, with no other phases detected. Indium atoms exist as In{sup 3+} in Cu{sub 2}O. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy showed that the transmittance of the samples was relatively high and that indium doping increased the optical band gaps. The Hall effect measurement showed that the samples were n-type semiconductors at room temperature. The Seebeck effect test showed that the films were n-type semiconductors near or over room temperature (<400 K), changing to p-type at relatively high temperatures. The conduction by the samples in the temperature range of the n-type was due to thermal band conduction and the donor energy level was estimated to be 620.2–713.8 meV below the conduction band. The theoretical calculation showed that indium doping can raise the Fermi energy level of Cu{sub 2}O and, therefore, lead to n-type conduction.

  19. Blue photoluminescence in Ti-doped alkaline-earth stannates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamashita, Takahiro; Ueda, Kazushige

    2007-01-01

    Blue photoluminescence properties of Ti-doped alkaline-earth stannates, A 2 (Sn 1- x Ti x )O 4 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba) (x=0.005-0.15), were examined at room temperature. These stannates showed intense broad emission bands peaking at 445 nm for Ca 2 SnO 4 , at 410 nm for Sr 2 SnO 4 , and at 425 nm for Ba 2 SnO 4 under UV excitation. Emission intensities were relatively insensitive to Ti concentration and no sharp concentration quenching was observed. Mixing alkaline-earth ions in the crystal structures did not increase the emission intensities in the A 2 (Sn 1- x Ti x )O 4 system. The excitation spectra of these stannates exhibited broad bands just below the fundamental absorption edges, implying that luminescence centers do not consist of the component elements in the host materials. It was suggested that the isolated TiO 6 complexes are possible luminescence centers in these materials, as previously proposed in other Ti-doped stannates such as Mg 2 SnO 4 and Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 . - Graphical abstract: Blue photoluminescence properties of Ti-doped alkaline-earth stannates, A 2 (Sn 1- x Ti x )O 4 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba) (x=0.005-0.15), were examined at room temperature. These stannates showed intense broad emission bands peaking at 445 nm for Ca 2 SnO 4 , at 410 nm for Sr 2 SnO 4 , and at 425 nm for Ba 2 SnO 4 under UV excitation

  20. Development of nanotopography during SIMS characterization of thin films of Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Secchi, M., E-mail: secchi@fbk.eu [Center for Materials and Microsystems, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Povo, TN (Italy); Department of Physics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123 Trento (Italy); Demenev, E. [Center for Materials and Microsystems, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Povo, TN (Italy); Department of Molecular Science and Nanosystems, Ca’Foscari University, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Colaux, J.L. [Ion Beam Centre, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, England (United Kingdom); Giubertoni, D.; Dell’Anna, R.; Iacob, E. [Center for Materials and Microsystems, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Povo, TN (Italy); Gwilliam, R.M.; Jeynes, C. [Ion Beam Centre, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, England (United Kingdom); Bersani, M. [Center for Materials and Microsystems, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Povo, TN (Italy)

    2015-11-30

    Highlights: • SIMS protocol to measure high Sn concentration in GeSn alloy is proposed. • Cs{sup +} as incidence beam, collecting positive ions MCs{sup +} was the chosen configuration. • Applied sputtering conditions induced an early formation of surface topography. • Unusual dot and ripple evolution at oblique incidence angle on Ge were studied. • Two different mechanisms seem to be involved: ripple formation and nanovoids in Ge. - Abstract: This work presents a study of application of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to measure tin concentration in Ge{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x} alloy with x higher than solid solubility ∼1%, i.e. well above the diluted regime where SIMS measurements usually provide the most reliable quantitative results. SIMS analysis was performed on Sn{sup +} ion implanted Ge films, epitaxially deposited on Si, and on chemical vapor deposition deposited Ge{sub 0.93}Sn{sub 0.07} alloy. Three SIMS conditions were investigated, varying primary beam ion species and secondary ion polarity keeping 1 keV impact energy. Best depth profile accuracy, best agreement with the fluences measured by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, good detection limit (∼1 × 10{sup 17} at/cm{sup 3}) and depth resolution (∼2 nm/decade) are achieved in Cs{sup +}/SnCs{sup +} configuration. However, applied sputtering conditions (Cs{sup +} 1 keV, 64° incidence vs. normal) induced an early formation of surface topography on the crater bottom resulting in significant variation of sputtering yield. Atomic force microscopy shows a peculiar topography developed on Ge: for oblique incidence, a topography consisting in a sequence of dots and ripples was observed on the crater bottom. This behavior is unusual for grazing incidence and has been observed to increase with the Cs{sup +} fluence. Rotating sample during sputtering prevents this ripple formation and consequently improves the depth accuracy.

  1. Effects of coating process on the characteristics of Ag-SnO2 contact materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, X.M.; Wu, S.L.; Chu, Paul K.; Chung, C.Y.; Zheng, J.; Li, S.L.

    2006-01-01

    Good wettability between the SnO 2 and silver matrix can improve the electrical contact performance of Ag-SnO 2 materials. In this work, Ag was deposited onto the surface of Ti-doped SnO 2 particles using chemical plating to enhance the wettability. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the Ag-coated SnO 2 particles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), conductivity tests, differential thermal analysis (DTA), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed on the Ag-SnO 2 materials. Our results reveal that the chemical plating process can enhance the wettability between the Ti-doped SnO 2 particles and Ag matrix, and the Ag-coated SnO 2 particles are uniformly distributed in the Ag matrix. Both the thermal and electrical conductivity of the Ag-SnO 2 materials are significantly improved

  2. Solvothermal-induced 3D macroscopic SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels for high capacity and long-life lithium storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ronghua; Xu, Chaohe; Sun, Jing; Gao, Lian; Yao, Heliang

    2014-03-12

    3D macroscopic tin oxide/nitrogen-doped graphene frameworks (SnO2/GN) were constructed by a novel solvothermal-induced self-assembly process, using SnO2 colloid as precursor (crystal size of 3-7 nm). Solvothermal treatment played a key role as N,N-dimethylmethanamide (DMF) acted both as reducing reagent and nitrogen source, requiring no additional nitrogen-containing precursors or post-treatment. The SnO2/GN exhibited a 3D hierarchical porous architecture with a large surface area (336 m(2)g(-1)), which not only effectively prevented the agglomeration of SnO2 but also facilitated fast ion and electron transport through 3D pathways. As a result, the optimized electrode with GN content of 44.23% exhibited superior rate capability (1126, 855, and 614 mAh g(-1) at 1000, 3000, and 6000 mA g(-1), respectively) and extraordinary prolonged cycling stability at high current densities (905 mAh g(-1) after 1000 cycles at 2000 mA g(-1)). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and morphological study demonstrated the enhanced electrochemical reactivity and good structural stability of the electrode.

  3. Exploring d{sup 0} magnetism in doped SnO{sub 2}–a first principles DFT study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakraborty, Brahmananda, E-mail: brahma@barc.gov.in; Ramaniah, Lavanya M.

    2015-07-01

    In search of d{sup 0} magnetism, the magnetic behavior of SnO{sub 2} with cation substitution from group1A (Li, Na, K) and group 2A (Be, Mg, Ca) elements has been systematically studied using Density Functional Theory (DFT). While an impurity from group 1A elements switches on ferromagnetism at a lower concentration itself, sufficient hole density is required for a group 2A impurity to create a spontaneous spin polarized ground state, a finding that has not been reported in earlier investigations. Our DFT results predict for the first time that impurities from group 2A (Mg, Ca) in SnO{sub 2} can promote room temperature ferromagnetism. Further, the emergence of ferromagnetism due to doping from group 1A elements, which injects three holes per defect, has been mapped successfully onto a modified Hubbard model from the literature. Doping of a single Na atom in the supercell (concentration 6.25 at%) makes the system ferromagnetic, with a magnetic moment close to 3.0 μ{sub B} per defect, and a Curie temperature of 815 K, obtained in the mean field approximation. This agrees closely with a model prediction of 750 K. Finally, the triggering of ferromagnetism by an impurity atom from group 2A, which adds two holes per defect in the system, implies that the prescription of three holes per defect given in the literature is not a necessary criterion for hole induced ferromagnetism. Rather, the analysis of the density of states and ferromagnetic coupling indicate that the system needs a critical hole concentration to activate ferromagnetism, by pushing the Fermi level inside the valence band in order to satisfy the Stoner criterion. - Graphical abstract: Spin density (Δρ=ρ↑−ρ↓) shown in yellow color mainly concentrated on the first shell O atoms around the impurity (a)Li, (b)Na, (c) K for isovalue 0.2e (d) K for isovalue 0.1. - Highlights: • Systematic study of d{sup 0} magnetism in SnO{sub 2} doped with group 1A (Li, Na, K) and group 2A (Be, Mg, Ca).

  4. Structures, energetics and magnetic properties of (NiSn) n clusters ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The preference for tetrahedron unit of Ni3 Sn is seen in the lowest-energy configuration of these clusters. The multi-centre bonding between Ni atoms play an important role in stabilizing the stoichiometric Ni–Sn clusters. Doping of Sn atoms enhances the binding energy and reduces the ionization potential of nickel clusters.

  5. Nb and Ta Co-Doped TiO2 Transparent Conductive Thin Films by Magnetron Sputtering: Fabrication, Structure, and Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Peng, Qian; Qiao, Yadong; Yang, Guang

    2018-06-01

    Nb and Ta co-doped anatase titanium dioxide (NTTO) nanocrystalline thin films were deposited on quartz and Si (100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The influence of RF power on the growth, structure, morphology, and properties of the samples are discussed in detail. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the films are polycrystalline with anatase tetragonal structure, which is further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy analysis. Meanwhile, Raman spectroscopy results indicate that the peak width of E g(1) mode, which is directly correlated to the carrier density, changes obviously with RF power. It is found that the substitution of Nb5+ and Ta5+ at Ti site is significantly improved with the increase of RF power from 150 W to 210 W. For the sample deposited at 210 W, the optical transmittance is above 82% in the visible range and the electrical resistivity is as low as 1.3 × 10-3 Ω cm with carrier density of 1.1 × 1021 cm-3 and Hall mobility of 4.5 cm2 V-1 s-1. The optical and electrical properties of NTTO thin films can be compared to those of Nb or Ta doped anatase TiO2. However, co-doping with Nb and Ta gives a possible platform to complement the limitations of each individual dopant.

  6. Green and Selective Fluorescent Sensor for Detection of Sn (IV) and Mo (VI) Based on Boron and Nitrogen-Co-Doped Carbon Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabaraki, Reza; Abdi, Omran; Yousefipour, Sedigheh

    2017-03-01

    A green and simple microwave-assisted method was used to synthesis water-soluble boron and nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots (B-N-CDs). These B-N-CDs were successfully used for the fluorescent determination of Sn 4+ and Mo 6+ ions. This probe had a fast response time at pH = 4 with high sensitivity and selectivity. Linear correlation between F 0 /F and the concentration was seen in the range of 0.2-18 μM and 0.2-25 μM for Sn 4+ and Mo 6+ , respectively. Under optimum condition, the limit of detection (LOD) for Sn 4+ and Mo 6+ were 150 nM and 132 nM, respectively. The performance of the sensor was evaluated by different real samples such as tap, river and mineral water, canned fish sample and tomato samples.

  7. Electrical properties of sputtered-indium tin oxide film contacts on n-type GaN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, J. D.; Lin, C. C.; Chen, W. L.

    2006-01-01

    A transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) Ohmic contact on n-type gallium nitride (GaN) (dopant concentration of 2x10 17 cm -3 ) having a specific contact resistance of 4.2x10 -6 Ω cm 2 was obtained. In this study, ITO film deposition method was implemented by sputtering. We found that the barrier height, 0.68 eV, between ITO and n-type GaN is the same for both evaporated- and sputtered-ITO films. However, the 0.68 eV in barrier height renders the evaporated-ITO/n-GaN Schottky contact. This behavior is different from that of our sputtered-ITO/n-GaN, i.e., Ohmic contact. During sputtering, oxygen atoms on the GaN surface were significantly removed, thereby resulting in an improvement in contact resistance. Moreover, a large number of nitrogen (N) vacancies, caused by sputtering, were produced near the GaN surface. These N vacancies acted as donors for electrons, thus affecting a heavily doped n-type formed at the subsurface below the sputtered ITO/n-GaN. Both oxygen removal and heavy doping near the GaN surface, caused by N vacancies, in turn led to a reduction in contact resistivity as a result of electrons tunneling across the depletion layer from the ITO to the n-type GaN. All explanations are given by Auger analysis and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

  8. Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti/Al co-doped DLC films: Dependence on sputtering current, source gas, and substrate bias

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Ting; Kong, Cuicui; Li, Xiaowei; Guo, Peng; Wang, Zhenyu; Wang, Aiying

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Ti/Al co-doped diamond-like carbon films were fabricated by a hybrid ion beam method. • Process parameters affected the structure and chemical state of co-doped Ti and Al. • The relation between microstructure and properties was investigated systematically. • The guidance to tailor the Ti/Al-DLC films with high performance was provided. - Abstract: Co-doping two metal elements into diamond-like carbon (DLC) films can reach the desirable combined properties, but the preparation and commercialized application of metal co-doped DLC films with well-defined structural properties are currently hindered by the non-comprehensive understanding of structural evolutions under different process parameters. Here, we fabricated the Ti/Al-DLC films using a unique hybrid ion beam system which enabled the independent control of metal content and carbon structure. The evolutions of microstructure, residual compressive stress and mechanical properties induced by the different process parameters including sputtering currents, C_2H_2 or CH_4 source gases and bias voltages were investigated systematically in order to perform in-depth analysis on the relation between the structure and properties in Ti/Al-DLC films. Results revealed that the variations of process parameters seriously affected the concentration and chemical bond state of co-doped Ti/Al atoms in amorphous carbon matrix or incident energies of C ions, which brought the complicated effect on amorphous carbon structures, accounting for the change of residual compressive stress, hardness and toughness. The present results provide the guidance for suitable, effective parameters selection to tailor the Ti/Al-DLC films with high performance for further applications.

  9. Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti/Al co-doped DLC films: Dependence on sputtering current, source gas, and substrate bias

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Ting [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444 (China); Kong, Cuicui [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Ningbo University, Ningbo 315201 (China); Li, Xiaowei, E-mail: lixw@nimte.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Guo, Peng; Wang, Zhenyu [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Wang, Aiying, E-mail: aywang@nimte.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China)

    2017-07-15

    Highlights: • Ti/Al co-doped diamond-like carbon films were fabricated by a hybrid ion beam method. • Process parameters affected the structure and chemical state of co-doped Ti and Al. • The relation between microstructure and properties was investigated systematically. • The guidance to tailor the Ti/Al-DLC films with high performance was provided. - Abstract: Co-doping two metal elements into diamond-like carbon (DLC) films can reach the desirable combined properties, but the preparation and commercialized application of metal co-doped DLC films with well-defined structural properties are currently hindered by the non-comprehensive understanding of structural evolutions under different process parameters. Here, we fabricated the Ti/Al-DLC films using a unique hybrid ion beam system which enabled the independent control of metal content and carbon structure. The evolutions of microstructure, residual compressive stress and mechanical properties induced by the different process parameters including sputtering currents, C{sub 2}H{sub 2} or CH{sub 4} source gases and bias voltages were investigated systematically in order to perform in-depth analysis on the relation between the structure and properties in Ti/Al-DLC films. Results revealed that the variations of process parameters seriously affected the concentration and chemical bond state of co-doped Ti/Al atoms in amorphous carbon matrix or incident energies of C ions, which brought the complicated effect on amorphous carbon structures, accounting for the change of residual compressive stress, hardness and toughness. The present results provide the guidance for suitable, effective parameters selection to tailor the Ti/Al-DLC films with high performance for further applications.

  10. High power pulsed magnetron sputtering of transparent conducting oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sittinger, V.; Ruske, F.; Werner, W.; Jacobs, C.; Szyszka, B.; Christie, D.J.

    2008-01-01

    High power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) has been used in order to study the deposition of transparent conducting oxides. We summarize the studies carried out on different materials (indium tin oxide-ITO and aluminium-doped zinc oxide-AZO) using rather different technological approaches, namely sputtering of ceramic targets and reactive sputtering. For the deposition of AZO reactive HPPMS for metallic targets has been used. A feedback control loop has been implemented in order to stabilize the discharge at any given setpoint on the hysteresis curve. The hysteresis was also found to have a rather untypical form. Reactive HPPMS was found to be a promising tool for obtaining high quality films of low total thickness. In the case of ITO deposition a ceramic target has been used. The process has been characterized in terms of its plasma emission and increasing indium ionization was found for higher peak power densities. The properties of the deposited films were compared to DC sputtered films. While for DC sputtering the choice of oxygen addition and shieldings is crucial for determining surface morphology and resistivity, in HPPMS sputtering peak power density has been found to be a good parameter for influencing the crystal structure. The morphologies obtained differ strongly from those seen in DC sputtering. At high power densities films with low surface roughness and excellent resistivity could be deposited without the use of shieldings

  11. Effect of Mg doping in the gas-sensing performance of RF-sputtered ZnO thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinoth, E.; Gowrishankar, S.; Gopalakrishnan, N.

    2018-06-01

    Thin films of Mg-free and Mg-doped (3, 10 and 20 mol%) ZnO thin films have been deposited on Si (100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering for gas-sensing application. Preferential orientation along (002) plane with hexagonal wurtzite structure has been observed in X-ray diffraction analysis. The conductivity, resistivity, and mobility of the deposited films have been measured by Hall effect measurement. The bandgap of the films has been calculated from the UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. It has been found that the bandgap was increased from 3.35 to 3.91 eV with Mg content in ZnO due to the radiative recombination of excitons. The change in morphology of the grown films has been investigated by scanning electron microscope. Gas-sensing measurements have been conducted for fabricated films. The sensor response, selectivity, and stability measurement were done for the fabricated films. Though better response was found towards ethanol, methanol, and ammonia for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%) film and maximum gas response was observed towards ammonia. The selectivity measurement reveals maximum sensitivity about 42% for ammonia. The low response time of 123 s and recovery time of 152 s towards ammonia were observed for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%). Stability of the Mg-doped ZnO thin film confirmed by the continuous sensing measurements for 4 months.

  12. Sintering and electrical properties of titania- and zirconia-containing In2O3-SnO2 (ITO) ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nadaud, N.; Nanot, M.; Bock, P.

    1994-01-01

    The deposition rate and film quality of In 2 O 3 -SnO 2 (ITO) transparent electrodes processed by sputtering are improved when using dense sputtering targets. Unfortunately, ITO ceramics do not sinter easily. It is shown that addition of TiO 2 ( 2 was also investigated

  13. Superconductivity, Pairing Symmetry, and Disorder in the Doped Topological Insulator Sn1-xInxTe for x >= 0.10.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smylie, M. P.; Claus, H.; Kwok, W. -K.; Louden, E. R.; Eskildsen, M. R.; Sefat, A. S.; Zhong, R. D.; Schneeloch, J.; Gu, G. D.; Bokari, E.; Niraula, P. M.; Kayani, A.; Dewhurst, C. D.; Snezhko, A.; Welp, U.

    2018-01-19

    The temperature dependence of the London penetration depth Delta lambda(T) in the superconducting doped topological crystalline insulator Sn1-xInxTe was measured down to 450 mK for two different doping levels, x approximate to 0.45 (optimally doped) and x approximate to 0.10 (underdoped), bookending the range of cubic phase in the compound. The results indicate no deviation from fully gapped BCS-like behavior, eliminating several candidate unconventional gap structures. Critical field values below 1 K and other superconducting parameters are also presented. The introduction of disorder by repeated particle irradiation with 5 MeV protons does not enhance T-c, indicating that ferroelectric interactions do not compete with superconductivity.

  14. The properties of transparent conducting molybdenum-doped ZnO films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiu Xian-Wu; Zhao Wen-Jing

    2012-01-01

    Transparent conducting molybdenum-doped zinc oxide films are prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at ambient temperature. The MoO 3 content in the target varies from 0 to 5 wt%, and each film is polycrystalline with a hexagonal structure and a preferred orientation along the c axis. The resistivity first decreases and then increases with the increase in MoO 3 content. The lowest resistivity achieved is 9.2×10 −4 Ω·cm, with a high Hall mobility of 30 cm 2 ·V −1 ·s 1 and a carrier concentration of 2.3×10 20 cm −3 at an MoO 3 content of 2 wt%. The average transmittance in the visible range is reduced from 91% to 80% with the increase in the MoO 3 content in the target. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

  15. Influence of sputtering power on the optical properties of ITO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    K, Aijo John; M, Deepak, E-mail: manju.thankamoni@gmail.com; T, Manju, E-mail: manju.thankamoni@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Sree Sankara College, Kalady P. O., Ernakulam Dist., Kerala (India); Kumar, Vineetha V. [Dept. of Physics, K. E. College, Mannanam, Kottayam Dist., Kerala (India)

    2014-10-15

    Tin doped indium oxide films are widely used in transparent conducting coatings such as flat panel displays, crystal displays and in optical devices such as solar cells and organic light emitting diodes due to the high electrical resistivity and optical transparency in the visible region of solar spectrum. The deposition parameters have a commendable influence on the optical and electrical properties of the thin films. In this study, ITO thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. The properties of the films prepared under varying sputtering power were compared using UV- visible spectrophotometry. Effect of sputtering power on the energy band gap, absorption coefficient and refractive index are investigated.

  16. Optimization of Firing Temperature of PbO-doped SnO2 Sensor for Detection of Acetone, Methanol, Propanol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. K. Srivastava

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available In the present work, the response of a set of three PbO (1 % wt doped thick film SnO2 sensors fired at different firing temperatures (6500 C, 7500 C, 8500 C have been studied. The selection of appropriate firing temperature is necessary for the sensor fabrication in order to achieve the highest sensitivity for a particular species of gas. To achieve this, thick film PbO-doped sensor were fabricated on a 1˝x1˝ alumina substrate. The sensitivity of these sensors has been studied at different operating temperatures (1500 C-3500 C upon exposure to acetone, methanol and propanol. The sensor fired at 8500 C besides having good adhesion yields maximum sensitivity at an operating temperature of 2500 C for all gases except acetone for which it gives maximum response at 2000 C.

  17. Photocatalytic performance of Sn-doped and undoped TiO2 nanostructured thin films under UV and vis-lights

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arpac, E.; Sayilkan, F.; Asiltuerk, M.; Tatar, P.; Kiraz, Nadir; Sayilkan, H.

    2007-01-01

    Sn-doped and undoped nano-TiO 2 particles have been synthesized by hydrotermal process without solvent at 200 deg. C in 1 h. Nanostructure-TiO 2 based thin films have been prepared on glass substrate by spin-coating technique. The structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the thin films and the particles have been investigated by element analysis and XRD, SEM, BET and UV-vis-NIR techniques. The photocatalytic performance of the films were tested for degradation of Malachite Green dye in solution under UV and vis-lights. The results showed that (a) hydrothermally synthesized nano-TiO 2 particles are fully anatase crystalline form and are easily dispersed in water, (b) the coated surfaces have nearly super-hydrophilic properties and (c) the doping of transition metal ion efficiently improved the photocatalytic performance of the TiO 2 thin film

  18. Fabrication of highly conductive Ta-doped SnO2 polycrystalline films on glass using seed-layer technique by pulse laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakao, Shoichiro; Yamada, Naoomi; Hitosugi, Taro; Hirose, Yasushi; Shimada, Toshihiro; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    2010-01-01

    We discuss the fabrication of highly conductive Ta-doped SnO 2 (Sn 1-x Ta x O 2 ; TTO) thin films on glass by pulse laser deposition. On the basis of the comparison of X-ray diffraction patterns and resistivity (ρ) values between epitaxial films and polycrystalline films deposited on bare glass, we proposed the use of seed-layers for improving the conductivity of the TTO polycrystalline films. We investigated the use of rutile TiO 2 and NbO 2 as seed-layers; these are isostructural materials of SnO 2, which are expected to promote epitaxial-like growth of the TTO films. The films prepared on the 10-nm-thick seed-layers exhibited preferential growth of the TTO (110) plane. The TTO film with x = 0.05 on rutile TiO 2 exhibited ρ = 3.5 x 10 -4 Ω cm, which is similar to those of the epitaxial films grown on Al 2 O 3 (0001).

  19. Photoelectrochemical Characterization of Sprayed alpha-Fe2O3 Thin Films : Influence of Si Doping and SnO2 Interfacial Layer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liang, Y.; Enache, C.S.; Van De Krol, R.

    2008-01-01

    a-Fe2O3 thin film photoanodes for solar water splitting were prepared by spray pyrolysis of Fe(AcAc)3. The donor density in the Fe2O3 films could be tuned between 10171020cm-3 by doping with silicon. By depositing a 5 nm SnO2 interfacial layer between the Fe2O3 films and the transparent conducting

  20. Electrical and Plasmonic Properties of Ligand-Free Sn(4+) -Doped In2 O3 (ITO) Nanocrystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jagadeeswararao, Metikoti; Pal, Somnath; Nag, Angshuman; Sarma, D D

    2016-03-03

    Sn(4+) -doped In2 O3 (ITO) is a benchmark transparent conducting oxide material. We prepared ligand-free but colloidal ITO (8 nm, 10 % Sn(4+) ) nanocrystals (NCs) by using a post-synthesis surface-modification reaction. (CH3 )3 OBF4 removes the native oleylamine ligand from NC surfaces to give ligand-free, positively charged NCs that form a colloidal dispersion in polar solvents. Both oleylamine-capped and ligand-free ITO NCs exhibit intense absorption peaks, due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) at around λ=1950 nm. Compared with oleylamine-capped NCs, the electrical resistivity of ligand-free ITO NCs is lower by an order of magnitude (≈35 mΩ cm(-1) ). Resistivity over a wide range of temperatures can be consistently described as a composite of metallic ITO grains embedded in an insulating matrix by using a simple equivalent circuit, which provides an insight into the conduction mechanism in these systems. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Bandgap tailoring of in-situ nitrogen-doped TiO₂ sputtered films intended for electrophotocatalytic applications under solar light

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Delegan, N.; El Khakani, M. A., E-mail: elkhakani@emt.inrs.ca [Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650, Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X-1S2 (Canada); Daghrir, R.; Drogui, P. [Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement, 490 Rue de la Couronne, Québec G1K-9A9 (Canada)

    2014-10-21

    We report on a reactive RF-sputtering process permitting the in-situ nitrogen doping of TiO₂ films in order to shift their photoactivity from UV to visible range. By carefully controlling the relative nitrogen-to-argon mass flow rate ratio (within the 0%–25% range) in the sputter deposition chamber, TiO₂:N films were grown with nitrogen contents ranging from 0 to 6.2 at. %, as determined by high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy measurements. A systematic investigation of the crystalline structure of the TiO₂:N films, as a function of their N content, revealed that low N contents (0.2–0.3 at. %) induce crystallization in the rutile phase while higher N contents (≥1.4 at. %) were accompanied with the recovery of the anatase structure with an average crystallite size of ~35 nm. By using both UV-Vis absorption and spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements, we were able to quantitatively determine the bandgap (E{sub g}) variation of the TiO₂:N films as a function of their N content. Thus, we have demonstrated that the E{sub g} of the TiO₂:N films effectively narrows from 3.2 eV down to a value as low as ~2.3 eV for the optimal N doping concentration of 3.4 at. % (higher N incorporation does not translate into further red shifting of the TiO₂:N films' E{sub g}). The photoactivity of the TiO₂:N films under visible light was confirmed through electro-photocatalytic decomposition of chlortetracycline (CTC, an emerging water pollutant) under standard 1.5AM solar radiation. Thus, CTC degradation efficiencies of up to 98% were achieved with 2 hours process cycles under simulated solar light. Moreover, the electro-photocatalytic performance of the TiO₂:N films is shown to be directly correlated to their optoelectronic properties (namely their bandgap narrowing).

  2. Synthesis of sub-5 nm Co-doped SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles and their structural, microstructural, optical and photocatalytic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Entradas, T.; Cabrita, J.F. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CQB, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Dalui, S. [Department of Physics and ICEMS, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Nunes, M.R. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CQB, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Monteiro, O.C., E-mail: ocmonteiro@fc.ul.pt [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CQB, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Silvestre, A.J., E-mail: asilvestre@deq.isel.ipl.pt [Department of Physics and ICEMS, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – ISEL, R. Conselheiro Emídio Navarro 1, 1959-007 Lisboa (Portugal)

    2014-10-15

    A swift chemical route to synthesize Co-doped SnO{sub 2} nanopowders is described. Pure and highly stable Sn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) crystalline nanoparticles were synthesized, with mean grain sizes <5 nm and the dopant element homogeneously distributed in the SnO{sub 2} matrix. The UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectra of the Sn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} samples reveal red shifts, the optical bandgap energies decreasing with increasing Co concentration. The samples' Urbach energies were calculated and correlated with their bandgap energies. The photocatalytic activity of the Sn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} samples was investigated for the 4-hydroxylbenzoic acid (4-HBA) degradation process. A complete photodegradation of a 10 ppm 4-HBA solution was achieved using 0.02% (w/w) of Sn{sub 0.95}Co{sub 0.05}O{sub 2−δ} nanoparticles in 60 min of irradiation. - Highlights: • Synthesis of homogeneous sub-5 nm Sn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) nanoparticles. • Samples' optical bandgap energies decrease with increasing Co concentration. • Samples' Urbach energies are calculated and correlated with their bandgap energies. • Sn{sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 2−δ} powders are photocatalysts for 4-hydroxylbenzoic acid degradation. • The best 4-HBA photocatalyst is the sample with composition Sn{sub 0.95}Co{sub 0.05}O{sub 2−δ}.

  3. Postdeposition Annealing Effect on Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin Films Grown at Different Substrate Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samia Ahmed Nadi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS thin films were deposited on top of Molybdenum (Mo coated soda lime glass (SLG substrates using a single target rf magnetron sputtering technique. The sputtering parameters such as base pressure, working pressure, rf power, argon (Ar gas flow rate, and deposition time were kept consistent throughout the experiment. The effect of different substrate temperatures, for example, room temperature (RT, 300°C, 350°C, 370°C, 400°C, and 450°C, was analyzed by studying their structural, electrical, and optical properties. As-sputtered films were then annealed at 460°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD measurement revealed the structure to be kesterite with peak of (112 plane in both annealed and as-sputtered CZTS thin films. The crystallinity of the films improved with the increasing substrate temperature until 370°C. Secondary phases of MoS2, CuxMoSx, CuxSnSx, CuxS, and Cu6MoSnS8 (hemusite were also observed in the annealed CZTS films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM shows crystallite size of deposited CZTS thin film to be proportionally related to deposition temperature. The highest surface roughness of 67.318 nm is observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM. The conductivity type of the films was found to be p-type by Hall effect measurement system.

  4. Transmission photocathodes based on stainless steel mesh and quartz glass coated with N-doped DLC thin films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balalykin, N. I.; Huran, J.; Nozdrin, M. A.; Feshchenko, A. A.; Kobzev, A. P.; Arbet, J.

    2016-03-01

    The influence was investigated of N-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) films properties on the quantum efficiency of a prepared transmission photocathode. N-doped DLC thin films were deposited on a silicon substrate, a stainless steel mesh and quartz glass (coated with 5 nm thick Cr adhesion film) by reactive magnetron sputtering using a carbon target and gas mixture Ar, 90%N2+10%H2. The elements' concentration in the films was determined by RBS and ERD. The quantum efficiency was calculated from the measured laser energy and the measured cathode charge. For the study of the vectorial photoelectric effect, the quartz type photocathode was irradiated by intensive laser pulses to form pin-holes in the DLC film. The quantum efficiency (QE), calculated at a laser energy of 0.4 mJ, rose as the nitrogen concentration in the DLC films was increased and rose dramatically after the micron-size perforation in the quartz type photocathodes.

  5. Morphology, composition and electrical properties of SnO{sub 2}:Cl thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheng, Hsyi-En, E-mail: sean@mail.stust.edu.tw; Wen, Chia-Hui; Hsu, Ching-Ming [Department of Electro-Optical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan 71005, Taiwan (China)

    2016-01-15

    Chlorine doped SnO{sub 2} thin films were prepared using atomic layer deposition at temperatures between 300 and 450 °C using SnCl{sub 4} and H{sub 2}O as the reactants. Composition, structure, surface morphology, and electrical properties of the as-deposited films were examined. Results showed that the as-deposited SnO{sub 2} films all exhibited rutile structure with [O]/[Sn] ratios between 1.35 and 1.40. The electrical conductivity was found independent on [O]/[Sn] ratio but dependent on chlorine doping concentration, grain size, and surface morphology. The 300 °C-deposited film performed a higher electrical conductivity of 315 S/cm due to its higher chlorine doping level, larger grain size, and smoother film surface. The existence of Sn{sup 2+} oxidation state was demonstrated to minimize the effects of chlorine on raising the electrical conductivity of films.

  6. Magnetoresistance and phase composition of La-Sn-Mn-O systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Z.W.; Morrish, A.H.; Jiang, Jianzhong

    1999-01-01

    The transport properties of the manganites La1 - xSnxMnO3 + delta with x = 0.1-0.5 and of Fe-doped samples have been comprehensively studied using magnetoresistance measurements, Fe-57 and Sn-119 Mossbauer spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. At the Sn concentration x = 0.5, La0.5Sn0.5MnO3 + delta...

  7. Research Article

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-05-01

    May 1, 2018 ... applications such as transparent electrodes for solar cells [2], gas sensors [3 ... sputtering, sol–gel [21] and pulsed laser ablation [22]. .... 4 shows the transmittance spectra of Indium doped SnO2 thin films for both as-deposited.

  8. Tunneling spectroscopy on superconducting Nb3Sn with artioficial barriers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, U.

    1984-03-01

    Tunneling diodes on Nb 3 Sn were prepared by magnetron sputtering. The superconducting transition temperatures of the Nb 3 Sn films were in the range of 5 to 18 K. An energetically low-lying structure in the tunneling density of states has been localized by detailed studies of the second derivative of the current-voltage characteristics of the diodes. This structure was found near 5.5 meV for stoichiometric Nb 3 Sn (Tsub(c) approx.= 18 K) and at 6.7 meV for understoichiometric Nb 3 Sn (Tsub(c) approx.= 5 K). The minimum in the conductance at zero energy found in the normal state could be identified to be mainly due to inelastic phonon processes of barrier phonons and Nb 3 Sn phonons. Deformations were found in the tunneling density of states of stoichiometric Nb 3 Sn diodes which lead to contradiction when explained by proximity effects. (orig./GSCH)

  9. A first-principles study of the electronic and structural properties of Sb and F doped SnO2 nanocrystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Minjung; Scott Bobbitt, N.; Marom, Noa; Chelikowsky, James R.

    2015-01-01

    We examine the electronic properties of Sb and F doped SnO 2 nanocrystals up to 2.4 nm in diameter. A real-space pseudopotential implementation of density functional theory is employed within the local density approximation. We calculate electron binding energies and dopant formation energies as function of nanocrystal size, dopant concentration, and dopant species. Structural changes for different dopant species are also investigated. Our study should provide useful information for the design of transparent conducting oxides at the nanoscale

  10. Effect of oxygen to argon flow ratio on the properties of Al-doped ZnO films for amorphous silicon thin film solar cell applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Yang-Shih [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lien, Shui-Yang, E-mail: syl@mdu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MingDao University, ChangHua 52345, Taiwan, ROC (China); Huang, Yung-Chuan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MingDao University, ChangHua 52345, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wang, Chao-Chun [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC (China); Liu, Chueh-Yang [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MingDao University, ChangHua 52345, Taiwan, ROC (China); Nautiyal, Asheesh [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chungli, 320 Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC (China); Wuu, Dong-Sing [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC (China); Lee, Shuo-Jun [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chungli, 320 Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC (China)

    2013-02-01

    Transparent conductive oxide thin films in solar cell fabrication have attracted much attention due to their high conductivity and transmittance. In this paper, we have investigated the aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films prepared by radiofrequency magnetron sputtering on Asahi U-type SnO{sub 2} glass with different O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratios in vacuum chamber. Furthermore, the micro-structural, electrical, and optical properties of AZO/SnO{sub 2} films were studied. The change in O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratios is found to significantly affect the haze value, and slightly affect electrical resistivity and transmittance of the films. Afterward, the fabricated AZO thin films with different O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratios were used for building the solar cell devices. The current–voltage and external quantum efficiency characteristics were investigated for the solar cell devices. The optimized O{sub 2}/Ar flow ratio of 3 for solar device shows the best efficiency of 10.41%, and a 20% increase in short-circuit current density compared to typical Asahi solar cells. - Highlights: ► A thin Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) film has been deposited on SnO{sub 2} substrates. ► The AZO film deposited at an O{sub 2}/Ar ratio of 3 shows low resistivity and high haze. ► The AZO film contains tiny grains that enhance light scattering. ► The amorphous silicon solar cell with the AZO layer shows a 20% increase in Jsc.

  11. Properties of Nb-doped ZnO transparent conductive thin films ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    by rf magnetron sputtering using a high quality ceramic target ... Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Materials, Guilin University of Electronic ... films are highly textured along the c axis and perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. ... ZnO films; Nb-doped; magnetron sputtering; optical and electrical properties. 1.

  12. Co-sputtered ZnO:Si thin films as transparent conductive oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Faure, C. [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France); Clatot, J. [LRCS, 33 Rue St Leu, F-80039 Amiens (France); Teule-Gay, L.; Campet, G. [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France); Labrugere, C. [CeCaMA, Universite de Bordeaux, ICMCB, 87 avenue du Dr. A. Schweitzer, Pessac, F-33608 (France); Nistor, M. [National Institute for Lasers, Plasmas and Radiation Physics, L22, PO Box MG-36, 77125 Bucharest-Magurele (Romania); Rougier, A., E-mail: rougier@icmcb-bordeaux.cnrs.fr [CNRS, Univ. Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F33600 Pessac (France)

    2012-12-01

    Silicon doped Zinc Oxide thin films, so-called SZO, were deposited at room temperature on glass and plastic substrates by co-sputtering of ZnO and SiO{sub 2} targets. The influence of the SiO{sub 2} target power supply (from 30 to 75 W) on the SZO thin film composition and crystallinity is discussed. Si/Zn atomic ratio, determined by X-ray microprobe, increases from 1.2 to 8.2 at.%. For Si/Zn ratio equal and lower than 3.9%, SZO (S{sub 3.9}ZO) thin films exhibit the Wurzite structure with the (0 0 2) preferred orientation. Larger Si content leads to a decrease in crystallinity. With Si addition, the resistivity decreases down to 3.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} Ohm-Sign {center_dot}cm for SZO thin film containing 3.9 at.% of Si prior to an increase. The mean transmittance of S{sub 3.9}ZO thin film on glass substrate approaches 80% (it is about 90% for the film itself) in the visible range (from 400 to 750 nm). Co-sputtered SZO thin films are suitable candidates for large area transparent conductive oxides. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si doped ZnO thin films by co-sputtering of ZnO and SiO{sub 2} targets. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Minimum of resistivity for Si doped ZnO thin films containing 3.9% of Si. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Si and O environments by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

  13. Nitrogen doping on NiO by reactive magnetron sputtering: A new pathway to dynamically tune the optical and electrical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keraudy, Julien, E-mail: julien.keraudy@liu.se [Institut de Recherche Technologique (IRT), Chemin du Chaffault, 44340, Bouguenais (France); Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN), Université de Nantes, CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssinière, BP32229, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3 (France); Plasma & Coatings Physics Division, IFM Materials Physics, Linköping University, Linköping, SE 581-83 (Sweden); Ferrec, Axel; Richard-Plouet, Mireille; Hamon, Jonathan; Goullet, Antoine; Jouan, Pierre-Yves [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN), Université de Nantes, CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssinière, BP32229, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3 (France)

    2017-07-01

    Highlights: • Nitrogen doping into NiO lattice (4 at.%) is achieved by only monitoring the N{sub 2}/O{sub 2} gas ratio in the plasma. • The replacement of O by N leads to a narrowing of the optical band-gap energy from 3.6 to 2.3 eV. • The origin of the narrowing is explained by the presence of an intermediate band and the introduction of occupied N 2p states. • Electrical conductivity of NiO:N samples depends on the amount of nickel vacancies and the nitrogen doping. - Abstract: N-doped nickel oxide (NiO:N) thin films were deposited on glass and silicon substrates by reactive DC magnetron sputtering in Ar/O{sub 2}/N{sub 2} gas atmosphere with a series of N{sub 2}/O{sub 2} gas ratio ranging from 0 to 80%. X-ray diffraction measurements have revealed that the films are constituted of Ni{sub 1-x}O grains and showed enhanced polycrystalline features with increasing N-doping concentration. For the first time, we report here that N-doping in the Ni-deficient NiO (Ni{sub 1-x}O) film leads to a band-gap narrowing from 3.6 to 2.3 eV. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements proved that up to 4 atomic percent (at.%) nitrogen can be incorporated at least at the surface of the NiO:N samples. In addition, XPS valence band spectra and UV–vis transmission measurements have demonstrated that the band-gap narrowing may originates from the contribution of an intermediate band (IB) ∼2.4 eV just above the valence band maximum and the up-shifting of the valence band edge (∼0.3 eV) due to the introduction of occupied N 2p states. Local I–V measurements, carried out by conductive AFM (C-AFM), have revealed that the extrinsic doping of N atoms within the oxide can be a good way to precisely control the electrical conductivity of such p-type materials.

  14. Cathodoluminescence study of SnO{sub 2} powders aimed for gas sensor applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korotcenkov, G. [Technical University of Moldova, Chisinau (Moldova, Republic of)]. E-mail: ghkoro@yahoo.com; Nazarov, M. [Technical University of Moldova, Chisinau (Moldova, Republic of); Zamoryanskaya, M.V. [A.F. Ioffe Physical Technical Institute, RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia (Russian Federation); Ivanov, M. [Technical University of Moldova, Chisinau (Moldova, Republic of); Cirera, A. [EME/CERMAE. Dep. Elect., University of Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); Shimanoe, K. [Kyushu University, Kasuga-shi, Fukuoka (Japan)

    2006-06-15

    In this paper we report on cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra of SnO{sub 2} powders, synthesized using the wet chemical route. The analysis of influence of the modes of calcination (T {sub an}-450-800 deg. C), and doping by both Pd and Pt (0.01-10.0 wt.%) on CL spectra was made. It was found that the measurement of CL spectra could be an effective research method of nanostructured metal oxides, aimed for gas sensor applications. It was established that in nanocrystalline SnO{sub 2} the same system of energy levels, associated with radiative recombination, as in single crystalline and polycrystalline SnO{sub 2}, is retained. It was found that doping by both Pd and Pt modifies the structural properties of SnO{sub 2} grains. Also, there is an optimum doping; near 0.1-0.2 wt.%, at which a maximum intensity of cathodoluminescence is reached. It was concluded that for low concentrations of both Pd and Pt additives in SnO{sub 2} an improvement of the material's crystal structure is promoted, and is associated with a decrease in the non-radiating recombination rate.

  15. Sequestration of radionuclides and heavy metals by hydroxyapatite doped with Fe, Cu and Sn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neidel, Linnah L.; Moore, Robert Charles; Salas, Fred; Grouios, Fotini; Holt, Kathleen Caroline; Helean, Katheryn B.

    2005-01-01

    Apatite, Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (F,OH,Cl)(P6 3 /m, Z=2), is the most abundant phosphate mineral on Earth. The end-member hydroxyapatite, Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 OH(P2 1 /b), is the primary mineral component in bones and teeth and tends to scavenge and sequester heavy metals in the human body. Hydroxyapatite has also been shown to be effective at sequestering radionuclides and heavy metals in certain natural systems (Dybowska et al., 2004). Hydroxyapatite has been the focus of many laboratory studies and is utilized for environmental remediation of contaminated sites (Moore et al., 2002). The crystal structure of apatite tolerates a great deal of distortion caused by extensive chemical substitutions. Metal cations (e.g. REE, actinides, K, Na, Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Sr, Ba, Pb, Cd, Fe) substitute for Ca, and oxyanions (e.g. AsO 4 3- , SO 4 2- , CO 3 2- , SiO 4 4- , CrO 4 2- ) replace PO 4 3- through a series of coupled substitutions that preserve electroneutrality. Owing to the ability of apatite to incorporate 'impurities'(including actinides) gives rise to its proposed use as a waste form for radionuclides. Recent work at Sandia National Laboratory demonstrated that hydroxyapatite has a strong affinity for U, Pu, Np, Sr and Tc reduced from pertechnetate (TcO 4 - ) by SnCl 2 (Moore et al., 2002). Based on these earlier promising results, an investigation was initiated into the use of apatite-type materials doped with aliovalent cations including Fe, Cu and Sn as Tc-scavengers. Synthetic Fe and Cu-doped hydroxyapatite samples were prepared by precipitation of Ca, from Ca-acetate, and P, from ammonium phosphate. The Fe and Cu were introduced as chlorides into the Ca-acetate solution. Stannous chloride was used as a reducing agent and was apparently incorporated into the crystal structures of the hydroxyapatite samples in small, as yet undetermined quantities.

  16. Sequestration of Radionuclides and Heavy Metals by Hydroxyapatite Doped with Fe, Cu and Sn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    K.B. Helean; R.C. Moore

    2005-01-01

    Apatite, Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (F,OH,Cl) (P6 3 /m, Z=2), is the most abundant phosphate mineral on Earth. The end-member hydroxyapatite, Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 OH (P2 1 /b), is the primary mineral component in bones and teeth and tends to scavenge and sequester heavy metals in the human body. Hydroxyapatite has also been shown to be effective at sequestering radionuclides and heavy metals in certain natural systems (Dybowska et al., 2004). Hydroxyapatite has been the focus of many laboratory studies and is utilized for environmental remediation of contaminated sites (Moore et al., 2002). The crystal structure of apatite tolerates a great deal of distortion caused by extensive chemical substitutions. Metal cations (e.g. REE, actinides, K, Na, Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Sr, Ba, Pb, Cd, Fe) substitute for Ca, and oxyanions (e.g. AsO 4 3- , SO 4 2- , CO 3 2- , SiO 4 4- , CrO 4 2- ) replace PO 4 3- through a series of coupled substitutions that preserve electroneutrality. Owing to the ability of apatite to incorporate ''impurities'' (including actinides) gives rise to its proposed use as a waste form for radionuclides. Recent work at Sandia National Laboratory demonstrated that hydroxyapatite has a strong affinity for U, Pu, Np, Sr and Tc reduced from pertechnetate (TcO 4 - ) by SnCl 2 (Moore et al., 2002). Based on these earlier promising results, an investigation was initiated into the use of apatite-type materials doped with aliovalent cations including Fe, Cu and Sn as Tc-scavengers. Synthetic Fe and Cu-doped hydroxyapatite samples were prepared by precipitation of Ca, from Ca-acetate, and P, from ammonium phosphate. The Fe and Cu were introduced as chlorides into the Ca-acetate solution. Stannous chloride was used as a reducing agent and was apparently incorporated into the crystal structures of the hydroxyapatite samples in small, as yet undetermined quantities

  17. Sol–gel glass-ceramics comprising rare-earth doped SnO2 and LaF3 nanocrystals: an efficient simultaneous UV and IR to visible converter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanes, A. C.; Castillo, J. del; Méndez-Ramos, J.; Rodríguez, V. D.

    2011-01-01

    We report a novel class of nanostructured glass-ceramics comprising two co-existing rare-earth doped nanocrystalline phases, SnO 2 semiconductor nanocrystal (quantum dot), and LaF 3 , presenting sizes at around 4.6 and 9.8 nm, respectively, embedded into a silica glass matrix for an efficient simultaneous UV and IR to visible photon conversion. On one hand, the wide and strong UV absorption by SnO 2 quantum dot and subsequent efficient energy transfer to Eu 3+ and, on the other hand, the also very efficient IR to visible up-conversion with the pair Yb 3+ –Er 3+ partitioned into low phonon LaF 3 nanocrystalline environment, yield to visible emissions with application in improving the spectral response of photovoltaic solar cells.Graphical AbstractWe report a novel class of nanostructured glass-ceramics comprising two co-existing rare-earth doped nanocrystalline phases, SnO 2 semiconductor nanocrystal (quantum dot) and LaF 3 , presenting sizes at around 4.6 and 9.8 nm, respectively, embedded into a silica glass matrix for an efficient simultaneous UV and IR to visible photon conversion. On one hand, the wide and strong UV absorption by SnO 2 quantum dot and subsequent efficient energy transfer to Eu 3+ and, on the other hand, the also very efficient IR to visible up-conversion with the pair Yb 3+ –Er 3+ partitioned into low phonon LaF 3 nanocrystalline environment, yield to visible emissions with application in improving the spectral response of photovoltaic solar cells.

  18. Microstructure and magnetic properties of Co-doped ZnO films deposited by gas flow sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakuma, H., E-mail: hsakuma@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp [Research Division of Functional Materials Design, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2 Yoto, Utsunomiya 321-8585 (Japan); Watanabe, Y. [Research Division of Functional Materials Design, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2 Yoto, Utsunomiya 321-8585 (Japan); Aramaki, K.; Yun, K.S. [Sony Chemical and Information Device Corporation, 1078 Kamiishikawa, Kanuma 322-8503 (Japan); Ishii, K. [Research Division of Functional Materials Design, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2 Yoto, Utsunomiya 321-8585 (Japan); Ikeda, Y.; Kondo, H. [Sony Chemical and Information Device Corporation, 1078 Kamiishikawa, Kanuma 322-8503 (Japan)

    2010-10-15

    Co-doped ZnO films with a Co concentration of 8-20 at.% were fabricated using the low-energy process of gas flow sputtering. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical absorption measurements revealed that the Co ions replace Zn ions in the ZnO matrix and that the Co ions have an oxidation state of 2+. The magnetic properties of the film depend on the Co concentration. The plots of magnetization and inverse susceptibility vs. temperature indicate that the film with a high Co concentration (20 at.%) contains a ferromagnetic component, while that with a low Co concentration (8 at.%) contains an antiferromagnetic component. The film with an intermediate Co concentration (10 at.%) contains a ferromagnetic component with a low Curie temperature. Hysteresis was not found in magnetization curves for all the samples, including the sample at 5 K. The films exhibited a high resistivity of 4 x 10{sup 7}-2 x 10{sup 8} {Omega} cm at room temperature, and carrier-mediated magnetism is not likely to be applicable for the mechanisms of the magnetism in the films.

  19. Microstructure and magnetic properties of Co-doped ZnO films deposited by gas flow sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakuma, H.; Watanabe, Y.; Aramaki, K.; Yun, K.S.; Ishii, K.; Ikeda, Y.; Kondo, H.

    2010-01-01

    Co-doped ZnO films with a Co concentration of 8-20 at.% were fabricated using the low-energy process of gas flow sputtering. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical absorption measurements revealed that the Co ions replace Zn ions in the ZnO matrix and that the Co ions have an oxidation state of 2+. The magnetic properties of the film depend on the Co concentration. The plots of magnetization and inverse susceptibility vs. temperature indicate that the film with a high Co concentration (20 at.%) contains a ferromagnetic component, while that with a low Co concentration (8 at.%) contains an antiferromagnetic component. The film with an intermediate Co concentration (10 at.%) contains a ferromagnetic component with a low Curie temperature. Hysteresis was not found in magnetization curves for all the samples, including the sample at 5 K. The films exhibited a high resistivity of 4 x 10 7 -2 x 10 8 Ω cm at room temperature, and carrier-mediated magnetism is not likely to be applicable for the mechanisms of the magnetism in the films.

  20. High field-effect mobility at the (Sr,Ba)SnO{sub 3}/BaSnO{sub 3} interface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujiwara, Kohei, E-mail: kfujiwara@imr.tohoku.ac.jp; Nishihara, Kazuki; Shiogai, Junichi; Tsukazaki, Atsushi [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

    2016-08-15

    A perovskite oxide, BaSnO{sub 3}, has been classified as one of transparent conducting materials with high electron mobility, and its application for field-effect transistors has been the focus of recent research. Here we report transistor operation in BaSnO{sub 3}-based heterostructures with atomically smooth surfaces, fabricated on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates by the (Sr,Ba)SnO{sub 3} buffer technique. Indeed, modulation of band profiles at the channel interfaces with the insertion of wide bandgap (Sr,Ba)SnO{sub 3} as a barrier layer results in a significant improvement of field-effect mobility, implying effective carrier doping at the regulated heterointerface. These results provide an important step towards realization of high-performance BaSnO{sub 3}-based field-effect transistors.

  1. Co-depositing Sn controls the growth of Al films as surfactant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barna, P. B.; Kovacs, A.; Misjak, F.; Eisenmenger-Sittner, C.; Bangert, H.; Tomastik, C.

    2002-01-01

    The present study investigates the influence of co-deposited Sn on the atomic processes involved in the structure evolution of vapour-deposited Al films. The films were prepared in HV by thermal evaporation from W sources at 1600 C substrate temperature either on Si wafers covered by a thermally grown oxide or on air cleaved mica. By applying the half-shadow technique, pure and Sn-doped Al films could be deposited simultaneously. The samples were investigated by AFM, scanning AES, X-TEM as well as by X-ray diffraction methods. The grain growth of Al is promoted by Sn in all stages of the film formation. Scanning AES measurements prove the existence of a wetting Sn layer both on the surface of Al islands and on the surface of the continuos Al layer. Excess Sn forms islands on the growth surface. The surface of pure Al layers exhibits grain boundary grooves and bunches of growth steps around terraces, while that of the Sn doped layers is more rounded. The substrate-film interface was covered by a thin Sn layer. AES measurements also prove the presence of Sn on the growth surface of Al films even after termination of Sn addition. Results of these experiments indicate that during co-deposition of Al and Sn the impinging Al atoms penetrate the wetting layer and are incorporated into the already existing Al crystals. A model has been developed for describing the growth of Al crystals in the presence Sn. (Authors)

  2. The Influence of Several Doped Ions on Gas Sensitivity of Hematite

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    1999-01-01

    The dehydrating activation energies of the hematite with several doped ions used for the alcohol sensor were determinated by thermogravimetric differential thermal analyzer (TG-DTA) and the grain size of the samples were observed with TEM. The hematites with different doping amounts of Sn4 + were investigated by Mossbauer spectrometer. It shows that the different doped ion is of influence for grain growth of the hematite. The decrease of grain size stemmed from the doped ion causes gas sensitivity for alcohol to increase and the dehydrating activation energy to decrease correspondingly. When the different amounts of Sn4 + is doped in hematite, the microstructure of the hematite can be influenced.

  3. Optoelectronic properties of R-F magnetron sputtered Cadmium Tin Oxide (Cd2SnO4) thin films for CdS/CdTe thin film solar cell applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeyadheepan, K.; Thamilselvan, M.; Kim, Kyunghae; Yi, Junsin; Sanjeeviraja, C.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Characterization of “as-prepared” Cd 2 SnO 4 thin films ideal for thin film solar cells. • Lowest value of resistivity with high mobility attained for the as-prepared Cd 2 SnO 4 films. • Maximum transmittance of 93% in the visible range for the as-prepared films. • Effect of substrate temperature on the scattering mechanism of TCO. - Abstract: The influence of substrate temperature on the microstructural behavior, optical, electrical properties and on the scattering mechanism of charge carriers were studied for the as-prepared radio-frequency (R-F) magnetron sputtered Cadmium Tin Oxide (Cd 2 SnO 4 ) thin films. Films prepared at the substrate temperature of 300 °C were found to be polycrystalline in nature with preferential orientation along (3 1 1) plane. Well pronounced Moss–Burstein shift, in the transmittance spectra with dispersions in the optical band gap from 3.07 to 3.30 eV, was observed at substrate temperatures between 25 and 300 °C. Optical property of high visible transmittance was retained by the films. Analysis of the electrical properties on the prepared crystalline Cd 2 SnO 4 films showed a calculated resistivity of 10 −3 –10 −4 Ω cm, with n-type carrier density in the range of 10 19 –10 20 cm −3 and the charge carrier mobility in the range of 63–30 cm 2 /V s. The effects of structural, compositional and optical properties on the scattering mechanism of charge carrier are elaborated and reported to be an experimental evidence for the theoretical predictions. The results revealed the essential DC electrical conduction behavior, which is ideal for the fabrication of Cd 2 SnO 4 -based CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells

  4. The Structural Changes of the Sn(y)OX Thin Films Under Influence of Heat Treament

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vong, V.

    2001-04-01

    Composite oxide Sn(y) Ox made by thermal oxidation of the Sn(y)-bimetal thin films, in which y is the doped-materials as well as Sb, Ag or Pd. The Sn(y)-bimetal thin films have been made by evaporation in high vacuum onto NaCl-monocrystall and optical glass substrates. In the work the tin and the doped material (y) were put on two different boats and then both the boats were simultaniously heated to evaporate. The Sn(y)Ox thin films were annealed at the differential temperatures. The structural changes of its have been investigated by using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope.

  5. Effect of Al-doped on physical properties of ZnO Thin films grown by spray pyrolysis on SnO2: F/glass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Castagné M.

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Transparent conducting thin films of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al have been deposited on SnO2:F/glass by the chemical spray technique, starting from zinc acetate (CH3CO22Zn.2H2O and aluminum chloride AlCl3. The effect of changing the aluminum-to-zinc ratio y from 0 to 3 at.%, has been thoroughly investigated. It was found that the optical and electrical properties of Al doped ZnO films improved with the addition of aluminum in the spray solution until y=2%. At this Al doping percentage, the thin layers have a resistivity equal to 4.1 × 10−4 Ω.cm and a transmittance of about 90 % in the region [600-1000] nm. XRD patterns confirm that the films have polycristalline nature and a wurtzite (hexagonal structure which characterized with (100, (002 and (101 principal orientations. The undoped films have (002 as the preferred orientation but Al doped ones have (101 as the preferred orientation. Beyond y= 1%, peak intensities decrease considerably.

  6. Efficient photocatalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous solution by SnO2:Sb nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Hamdi, Abdullah M.; Sillanpää, Mika; Bora, Tanujjal; Dutta, Joydeep

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Sb doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized using sol–gel process. • Photocatalytic degradation of phenol were studies using SnO 2 :Sb nanoparticles. • Under solar light phenol was degraded within 2 h. • Phenol mineralization and intermediates were investigated by using HPLC. - Abstract: Photodegradation of phenol in the presence of tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles under UV light irradiation is known to be an effective photocatalytic process. However, phenol degradation under solar light is less effective due to the large band gap of SnO 2 . In this study antimony (Sb) doped tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles were prepared at a low temperature (80 °C) by a sol–gel method and studied for its photocatalytic activity with phenol as a test contaminant. The catalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous media was studied using high performance liquid chromatography and total organic carbon measurements. The change in the concentration of phenol affects the pH of the solution due to the by-products formed during the photo-oxidation of phenol. The photoactivity of SnO 2 :Sb was found to be a maximum for 0.6 wt.% Sb doped SnO 2 nanoparticles with 10 mg L −1 phenol in water. Within 2 h of photodegradation, more than 95% of phenol could be removed under solar light irradiation.

  7. Comprehensive study of the p-type conductivity formation in radio frequency magnetron sputtered arsenic-doped ZnO film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Yang, B.; Fung, S.; Beling, C. D.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Grambole, D.; Skorupa, W.; Wong, K. S.; Zhong, Y. C.; Xie, Z.; Ling, C. C.

    2011-01-01

    Arsenic doped ZnO and ZnMgO films were deposited on SiO 2 using radio frequency magnetron sputtering and ZnO-Zn 3 As 2 and ZnO-Zn 3 As 2 -MgO targets, respectively. It was found that thermal activation is required to activate the formation of p-type conductivity. Hall measurements showed that p-type films with a hole concentration of ∼10 17 cm -3 and mobility of ∼8 cm 2 V -1 s -1 were obtained at substrate temperatures of 400-500 deg. C The shallow acceptor formation mechanism was investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, positron annihilation, low temperature photoluminescence, and nuclear reaction analysis. The authors suggest that the thermal annealing activates the formation of the As Zn -2V Zn shallow acceptor complex and removes the compensating hydrogen center.

  8. In-situ Ga doping of fully strained Ge1-xSnx heteroepitaxial layers grown on Ge(001) substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimura, Y.; Takeuchi, S.; Nakatsuka, O.; Vincent, B.; Gencarelli, F.; Clarysse, T.; Vandervorst, W.; Caymax, M.; Loo, R.; Jensen, A.; Petersen, D.H.; Zaima, S.

    2012-01-01

    We have investigated the Ga and Sn content dependence of the crystallinity and electrical properties of Ga-doped Ge 1-x Sn x layers that are heteroepitaxially grown on Ge(001) substrates. The doping of Ga to levels as high as the solubility limit of Ga at the growth temperature leads to the introduction of dislocations, due to the increase in the strain of the Ge 1-x Sn x layers. We achieved the growth of a fully strained Ge 0.922 Sn 0.078 layer on Ge with a Ga concentration of 5.5 × 10 19 /cm 3 without any dislocations and stacking faults. The resistivity of the Ga-doped Ge 1-x Sn x layer decreased as the Sn content was increased. This decrease was due to an increase in the carrier concentration, with an increase in the activation level of Ga atoms in the Ge 1-x Sn x epitaxial layers being induced by the introduction of Sn. As a result, we found that the resistivity for the Ge 0.950 Sn 0.050 layer annealed at 600°C for 1 min is 3.6 times less than that of the Ga-doped Ge/Ge sample. - Highlights: ► Heavy Ga-doping into fully strained GeSn layers without the introduction of dislocations ► The uniform Ga depth profile allowed the introduction of Sn ► The decrease in resistivity with an increase in the activation level of Ga was caused by the introduction of Sn

  9. 2D Sn-doped ZnO ultrathin nanosheet networks for enhanced acetone gas sensing application

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Hadeethi, Yas; Umar, Ahmad; Al-Heniti, Saleh. H.; Kumar, Rajesh; Kim, S.H.; Zhang, Xixiang; Raffah, Bahaaudin M.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we report the synthesis, characterizations and gas sensing application of 2D Sn-doped ZnO ultrathin nanosheet networks synthesized by a simple and facile hydrothermal process. The synthesized nanosheets were characterized using several techniques in terms of their morphological, structural, optical and compositional properties. The detailed characterizations confirmed that the nanosheets are pure, grown in high-density, possessing well-crystalline wurtzite hexagonal phase and exhibiting good optical properties. Further, the synthesized nanosheets were used as functional material to develop nanosensor device by coating it on the alumina substrate with suitable electrodes. The fabricated sensor device was tested towards acetone gas which exhibited a maximum sensitivity of 5.556 (Ra/Rg) for 200 ppm of acetone at 320 °C.

  10. 2D Sn-doped ZnO ultrathin nanosheet networks for enhanced acetone gas sensing application

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Hadeethi, Yas

    2016-11-10

    In this paper, we report the synthesis, characterizations and gas sensing application of 2D Sn-doped ZnO ultrathin nanosheet networks synthesized by a simple and facile hydrothermal process. The synthesized nanosheets were characterized using several techniques in terms of their morphological, structural, optical and compositional properties. The detailed characterizations confirmed that the nanosheets are pure, grown in high-density, possessing well-crystalline wurtzite hexagonal phase and exhibiting good optical properties. Further, the synthesized nanosheets were used as functional material to develop nanosensor device by coating it on the alumina substrate with suitable electrodes. The fabricated sensor device was tested towards acetone gas which exhibited a maximum sensitivity of 5.556 (Ra/Rg) for 200 ppm of acetone at 320 °C.

  11. Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide as a novel oxygen storage material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Qiang, E-mail: dong@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Yin, Shu; Yoshida, Mizuki; Wu, Xiaoyong; Liu, Bin [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Miura, Akira; Takei, Takahiro; Kumada, Nobuhiro [Department of Research Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Miyamae cho-7, Kofu 400-8511 (Japan); Sato, Tsugio [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

    2015-09-15

    Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) hollow nanospheres with a diameter of 50 nm have been synthesized successfully via a facial solvothermal route in a very simple system composed of only ethanol, acetic acid, SnCl{sub 4}·5H{sub 2}O and A(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}·xH{sub 2}O (A = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba). The synthesized undoped SnO{sub 2} and A-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres were characterized by the oxygen storage capacity (OSC), X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) technique. The OSC values of all samples were measured using thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis. The incorporation of alkaline earth metal ion into tin oxide greatly enhanced the thermal stability and OSC. Especially, Ba-doped SnO{sub 2} hollow nanospheres calcined at 1000 °C for 20 h with a BET surface area of 61 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} exhibited the considerably high OSC of 457 μmol-O g{sup −1} and good thermal stability. Alkaline earth metal doped tin oxide has the potential to be a novel oxygen storage material.

  12. Investigation of corrosion behavior of nitrogen doped and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon thin films in Hank's solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khun, N.W.; Liu, E.

    2011-01-01

    Undoped (DLC), nitrogen-doped (N-DLC) and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon (PtRu-DLC) thin films were deposited on p-Si (100) substrates using a DC magnetron sputtering deposition system. The chemical composition, bonding structure, surface morphology and adhesion strength of the films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-scratch test, respectively. The corrosion behavior of the films in a Hank's solution was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization test. The corrosion results revealed that the PtRu-DLC film had the highest corrosion potential among the films used in this study. Highlights: → DLC thin films were deposited on Si substrates via dc magnetron sputtering. → Some DLC films were doped with N and/or Pt/Ru. → The film corrosion behavior was studied in a Hank solution with polarization test. → The PtRu-DLC film showed the highest corrosion potential among the films studied.

  13. Nitrogen-Doped Graphene/Platinum Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Lin, Chinan; Lee, Chuanpei; Ho, Shute; Wei, Tzuchiao; Chi, Yuwen; Huang, Kunping; He, Jr-Hau

    2014-01-01

    Nitrogen-doped graphene (NGR) was utilized in dye-sensitized solar cells for energy harvesting. NGR on a Pt-sputtered fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate (NGR/Pt/FTO) as counter electrodes (CEs) achieves the high efficiency of 9.38% via the nitrogen

  14. Effect of Ti Doping to Maintain Structural Disorder in InOx-Based Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aikawa, Shinya

    2017-12-01

    The effect of Ti doping in an indium oxide (InOx)-based semiconductor is investigated for the thin-film transistor (TFT) property and crystal structure of the film. InOx and Ti-doped InOx (InTiOx) films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering under the same O2 partial pressure conditions were systematically compared. The TFT behavior of the InOx showed higher conductivity than that of the InTiOx and was drastically changed to metallic conduction after annealing at 150 °C. Under the annealing conditions when the electrical transition to the metallic behavior occurred, the InOx film was crystallized. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the shrinkage of the In2O3 unit cell is pronounced in the case of InOx films. Thus, Ti dopants may play the role as a suppressor for shrinkage of the unit cell, i.e. maintaining neighboring In-In distances, in addition to suppression of oxygen vacancies. The In-In distance, which is related to the overlapping of In 5 s orbitals, is considered to be one of the key factor for which InOx-based materials are utilized as conducting films or semiconducting channels.

  15. Magnetron co-sputtering system for coating ICF targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsieh, E.J.; Meyer, S.F.; Halsey, W.G.; Jameson, G.T.; Wittmayer, F.J.

    1981-01-01

    Fabrication of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) targets requires deposition of various types of coatings on microspheres. The mechanical strength, and surface finish of the coatings are of concern in ICF experiments. The tensile strength of coatings can be controlled through grain refinement, selective doping and alloy formation. We have constructed a magnetron co-sputtering system to produce variable density profile coatings with high tensile strength on microspheres

  16. Pressure effects on topological crystalline insulator SnTe and derived superconductor Sn{sub 0.5}In{sub 0.5}Te

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maurya, V. K.; Shruti,; Patnaik, S., E-mail: spatnaik@mail.jnu.ac.in [School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi (India); Jha, Rajveer; Awana, V. P. S. [National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India)

    2016-05-23

    We are reporting decrease in superconducting transition temperature accompanied by increased metallicity in indium doped SnTe superconductor. SnTe is a topological crystalline insulator and superconductivity is achieved by indium substitution in place of tin. With application of hydrostatic pressure we find negative dT{sub c}/dP of ~ -0.6K/GPa upto 2.5 GPa. The overall phenomenon is ascribed to unconventional superconductivity. Decrease in resistivity is also seen in single crystal SnTe with application of pressure but no evidence of superconductivity is observed.

  17. Cathodoluminescence studies of anomalous ion implantation defect introduction in lightly and heavily doped liquid phase epitaxial GaAs:Sn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norris, C.B.; Barnes, C.E.

    1980-01-01

    The anomalous postrange defect introduction produced by shallow ion implantation in GaAs has been investigated in Sn-doped liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) material using depth-resolved cathodoluminescence in conjunction with layer removal by chemical etching. 100-keV Ne + or 200-keV Zn + ions were implanted into lightly or heavily Sn-doped LPE layers at temperatures between 80 and 300 K. All implantations were subsequently annealed at 300 K. Although the projected ion ranges for the implants were on the order of 1000 A, significant postrange damage was observed at far greater depths. At depths up to several microns, the damage introduction produced severe nonradiative recombination but simultaneously caused an apparent increase in the concentration of incumbent luminescence centers responsible for an extrinsic band near 1.39 eV. A weak damage-related band near 1.2 eV could also be seen in one instance. At depths of 5--30 μm, the postrange damage had the opposite effect of annihilating incumbent 1.39-eV luminescence centers. The efficiency of the damage introduction has a complicated temperature dependence which is significantly different for the ion/substrate combinations investigated. However, no conditions were found for which the damage introduction could be inhibited. While our measurements are the most extensive to date concerning the anomalous ion implant damage introduction in GaAs, the detailed mechanisms responsible for this effect still remain obscure owing in part to the limited understanding of defects in GaAs

  18. Origins of n -type doping difficulties in perovskite stannates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weston, L.; Bjaalie, L.; Krishnaswamy, K.; Van de Walle, C. G.

    2018-02-01

    The perovskite stannates (A SnO3 ; A = Ba, Sr, Ca) are promising for oxide electronics, but control of n -type doping has proved challenging. Using first-principles hybrid density functional calculations, we investigate La dopants and explore the formation of compensating acceptor defects. We find that La on the A site always behaves as a shallow donor, but incorporation of La on the Sn site can lead to self-compensation. At low La concentrations and in O-poor conditions, oxygen vacancies form in BaSnO3. A -site cation vacancies are found to be dominant among the native compensating centers. Compared to BaSnO3, charge compensation is a larger problem for the wider-band-gap stannates, SrSnO3 and CaSnO3, a trend we can explain based on conduction-band alignments. The formation of compensating acceptor defects can be inhibited by choosing oxygen-poor (cation-rich) growth or annealing conditions, thus providing a pathway for improved n -type doping.

  19. A first-principles study of the electronic and structural properties of Sb and F doped SnO{sub 2} nanocrystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Minjung; Scott Bobbitt, N. [Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Marom, Noa [Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States); Chelikowsky, James R. [Center for Computational Materials, Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, Departments of Physics and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)

    2015-01-28

    We examine the electronic properties of Sb and F doped SnO{sub 2} nanocrystals up to 2.4 nm in diameter. A real-space pseudopotential implementation of density functional theory is employed within the local density approximation. We calculate electron binding energies and dopant formation energies as function of nanocrystal size, dopant concentration, and dopant species. Structural changes for different dopant species are also investigated. Our study should provide useful information for the design of transparent conducting oxides at the nanoscale.

  20. The calculation of the optical gap energy of ZnXO (X = Bi, Sn and Fe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benramache Said

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a new mathematical model has been developed to calculate the optical properties of nano materials a function of their size and structure. ZnO has good characterizatics in optical, electrical, and structural crystallisation; We will demonstrate that the direct optical gap energy of ZnO films grown by US and SP spray deposition can be calculated by investigating the correlation between solution molarity, doping levels of doped films and their Urbache energy. A simulation model has been developed to calculate the optical band gap energy of undoped and Bi, Sn and Fe doped ZnO thin films. The measurements by thus proposed models are in agreement with experimental data, with high correlation coefficients in the range 0.94-0.99. The maximum calculated enhancement of the optical gap energy of Sn doped ZnO thin films is always higher than the enhancement attainable with an Fe doped film, where the minimum error was found for Bi and Sn doped ZnO thin films to be 2,345 and 3,072%, respectively. The decrease in the relative errors from undoped to doped films can be explained by the good optical properties which can be observed in the fewer number of defects as well as less disorder.

  1. Accounting for the Complex Surface Structure in Ellipsometric Studies of the Effects of Magnetron Sputtering Modes on the Growth and Optical Properties of In2O3 Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tikhii, A. A.; Nikolaenko, Yu. M.; Gritskih, V. A.; Svyrydova, K. A.; Murga, V. V.; Zhikhareva, Yu. I.; Zhikharev, I. V.

    2018-03-01

    The efficiency of invoking additional information on optical transmission in solving the inverse problem of ellipsometry by a minimization method is demonstrated in practice for In2O3 fi doped and nondoped with Sn on Al2O3 (012) substrates. This approach allows the thickness and refractive index of thin films with rough surfaces to be uniquely determined. Solutions of the inverse problem in the framework of one-, two-, and multilayer models are compared. The last provides the best description of the experimental data and the correct parameters of the samples. The dependences of the investigated properties of films produced with different magnetron sputtering modes are found using the above methods and models and do not contradict general concepts about the film formation by this material.

  2. Dopant-site-dependent scattering by dislocations in epitaxial films of perovskite semiconductor BaSnO3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Useong Kim

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available We studied the conduction mechanism in Sb-doped BaSnO3 epitaxial films, and compared its behavior with that of the mechanism of its counterpart, La-doped BaSnO3. We found that the electron mobility in BaSnO3 films was reduced by almost 7 times when the dopant was changed from La to Sb, despite little change in the effective mass of the carriers. This indicates that the scattering rate of conduction electrons in the BaSnO3 system is strongly affected by the site at which the dopants are located. More importantly, we found that electron scattering by threading dislocations also depends critically on the dopant site. We propose that the large enhancement of scattering by the threading dislocations in Sb-doped BaSnO3 films is caused by the combination effect of the change in the distribution of Sb impurities in the films, the formation of the Sb impurity clusters near the threading dislocations, and the conduction electron clustering near the Sb impurities.

  3. Vacancy-induced brittle to ductile transition of W-M co-doped Al3Ti (M=Si, Ge, Sn and Pb).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Mingke; Wu, Ping; Li, Qiulin; Xu, Ben

    2017-10-25

    We investigated the effect of vacancy formation on brittle (D0 22 ) to ductile (L1 2 -like) transition in Al 3 Ti using DFT calculations. The well-known pseudogap on the density of states of Al 3 Ti migrates towards its Fermi level from far above, via a W - M co-doping strategy, where M is Si, Ge, Sn or Pb respectively. In particular, by a W - M co-doping the underline electronic structure of the pseudogap approaches an octahedral (L1 2 : t 2g , e g ) from the tetragonal (D0 22 : e g , b 2g , a 1g , b 1g ) crystal field. Our calculations demonstrated that (1) a W-doping is responsible for the close up of the energy gap between a 1g and b 1g so that they tend to merge into an e g symmetry, and (2) all M-doping lead to a narrower gap between e g and b 2g (moving towards a t 2g symmetry). Thus, a brittle to ductile transition in Al 3 Ti is possible by adopting this W - M co-doping strategy. We further recommend the use of W-Pb co-doped Al 3 Ti to replace the less anodic Al electrode in Al-battery, due to its improved ductility and high Al diffusivity. Finally this study opens a new field in physics to tailor mechanical properties by manipulating electron energy level(s) towards higher symmetry via vacancy optimization.

  4. Specific features of fullerene-bearing thin film growth using ion beam vacuum sputtering of fullerene mixtures with B, Fe, Se, Gd and Na

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semenov, A.P.; Semenova, I.A.; Bulina, N.V.; Lopatin, V.A.; Karmanov, N.S.; Churilov, G.N.

    2005-01-01

    A new approach to the growth of films containing fullerenes and doping elements is described. It is suggested that a cluster mechanism of the target sputtering by accelerated ions makes possible the deposition of fullerenes on a substrate with a certain probability for dopant atoms being introduced into the cavities of fullerene molecules and a higher probability of the doping element introduction between fullerene molecules. The proposed method has been experimentally implemented by using an Ar ion beam to sputter C 60 /C 70 fullerene mixtures, synthesized in a plasmachemical reactor at a pressure of 10 5 Pa and containing a doping element, i.e. Fe, Na, B, Gd or Se. Micron-thick films containing C 60 and C 70 fullerenes and the corresponding dopant element, i.e. Fe, Na, B, Gd or Se, were grown from dopant-containing fullerene mixtures by ion beam sputtering in a vacuum of ∼10 -2 Pa [ru

  5. ROS mediated malignancy cure performance of morphological, optical, and electrically tuned Sn doped CeO2 nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbas, Fazal; Iqbal, Javed; Maqbool, Qaisar; Jan, Tariq; Ullah, Muhammad Obaid; Nawaz, Bushra; Nazar, Mudassar; Naqvi, M. S. Hussain; Ahmad, Ishaq

    2017-09-01

    To grapple with cancer, implementation of differentially cytotoxic nanomedicines have gained prime attention of the researchers across the globe. Now, ceria (CeO2) at nanoscale has emerged as a cut out therapeutic agent for malignancy treatment. Keeping this in view, we have fabricated SnxCe1-xO2 nanostructures by facile, eco-friendly, and biocompatible hydrothermal method. Structural examinations via XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy have revealed single phase cubic-fluorite morphology while SEM analysis has depicted particle size ranging 30-50nm for pristine and doped nanostructures. UV-Vis spectroscopy investigation explored that Sn doping significantly tuned the band gap (eV) energies of SnxCe1-xO2 nanostructures which set up the base for tremendous cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generations involved in cancer cells' death. To observe cytotoxicity, synthesized nanostructures were found selectively more toxic to neuroblastoma cell lines as compared to HEK-293 healthy cells. This study anticipates that SnxCe1-xO2 nanostructures, in future, might be used as nanomedicine for safer cancer therapy.

  6. ROS mediated malignancy cure performance of morphological, optical, and electrically tuned Sn doped CeO2 nanostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fazal Abbas

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available To grapple with cancer, implementation of differentially cytotoxic nanomedicines have gained prime attention of the researchers across the globe. Now, ceria (CeO2 at nanoscale has emerged as a cut out therapeutic agent for malignancy treatment. Keeping this in view, we have fabricated SnxCe1-xO2 nanostructures by facile, eco-friendly, and biocompatible hydrothermal method. Structural examinations via XRD and FT-IR spectroscopy have revealed single phase cubic-fluorite morphology while SEM analysis has depicted particle size ranging 30-50nm for pristine and doped nanostructures. UV-Vis spectroscopy investigation explored that Sn doping significantly tuned the band gap (eV energies of SnxCe1-xO2 nanostructures which set up the base for tremendous cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS generations involved in cancer cells’ death. To observe cytotoxicity, synthesized nanostructures were found selectively more toxic to neuroblastoma cell lines as compared to HEK-293 healthy cells. This study anticipates that SnxCe1-xO2 nanostructures, in future, might be used as nanomedicine for safer cancer therapy.

  7. Sputtered indium-tin oxide/cadmium telluride junctions and cadmium telluride surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Courreges, F.G.; Fahrenbruch, A.L.; Bube, R.H.

    1980-01-01

    The properties of indium-tin oxide (ITO)/CdTe junction solar cells prepared by rf sputtering of ITO on P-doped CdTe single-crystal substrates have been investigated through measurements of the electrical and photovoltaic properties of ITO/CdTe and In/CdTe junctions, and of electron beam induced currents (EBIC) in ITO/CdTe junctions. In addition, surface properties of CdTe related to the sputtering process were investigated as a function of sputter etching and thermal oxidation using the techniques of surface photovoltage and photoluminescence. ITO/CdTe cells prepared by this sputtering method consist of an n + -ITO/n-CdTe/p-CdTe buried homojunction with about a 1-μm-thick n-type CdTe layer formed by heating of the surface of the CdTe during sputtering. Solar efficiencies up to 8% have been observed with V/sub 0c/=0.82 V and J/sub s/c=14.5 mA/cm 2 . The chief degradation mechanism involves a decrease in V/sub 0c/ with a transformation of the buried homojunction structure to an actual ITO/CdTe heterojunction

  8. Physical and photoelectrochemical properties of Sb-doped SnO2 thin films deposited by chemical vapor deposition: application to chromate reduction under solar light

    Science.gov (United States)

    Outemzabet, R.; Doulache, M.; Trari, M.

    2015-05-01

    Sb-doped SnO2 thin films (Sb-SnO2) are prepared by chemical vapor deposition. The X-ray diffraction indicates a rutile phase, and the SEM analysis shows pyramidal grains whose size extends up to 200 nm. The variation of the film thickness shows that the elaboration technique needs to be optimized to give reproducible layers. The films are transparent over the visible region. The dispersion of the optical indices is evaluated by fitting the diffuse reflectance data with the Drude-Lorentz model. The refractive index ( n) and absorption coefficient ( k) depend on both the conditions of preparation and of the doping concentration and vary between 1.4 and 2.0 and 0.2 and 0.01, respectively. Tin oxide is nominally non-stoichiometric, and the conduction is dominated by thermally electrons jump with an electron mobility of 12 cm2 V-1 s-1 for Sb-SnO2 (1 %). The ( C 2- V) characteristic in aqueous electrolyte exhibits a linear behavior from which an electrons density of 4.15 × 1018 cm-3 and a flat-band potential of -0.83 V SCE are determined. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows a semicircle attributed to a capacitive behavior with a low density of surface states. The center lies below the real axis with a depletion angle (12°), due to a constant phase element, i.e., a deviation from a pure capacitive behavior, presumably attributed to the roughness and porosity of the film. The straight line at low frequencies is attributed to the Warburg diffusion. The energy diagram reveals the photocatalytic feasibility of Sb-SnO2. As application, 90 % of the chromate concentration (20 mg L-1, pH ~3) disappears after 6 h of exposure to solar light.

  9. Raman scattering from Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x} (x ≤ 0.14) alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Navarro C, H.; Rodriguez, A. G.; Vidal, M. A. [Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Coordinacion para la Innovacion y la Aplicacion de la Ciencia y la Tecnologia, Alvaro Obregon No. 64, 78000 San Luis Potosi, S. L. P. (Mexico); Perez Ladron de G, H. [Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de los Lagos, Av. Enrique Diaz de Leon No. 1144, Col. Paseos de la Montana, 47460 Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco (Mexico)

    2015-07-01

    Ge{sub 1-x}Sn{sub x} alloys with x concentration up to 0.14 were grown on Ge(001) and GaAs(001) substrates in a conventional R. F. Magnetron Sputtering system at low substrate temperatures. The structural characteristics of these alloys were studied for different Sn concentrations between 1 to 14% by high resolution X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Contrasting characteristics of the grown layers are observed if the Sn concentration is larger or smaller than 6% as revealed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. (Author)

  10. Influence of oblique-angle sputtered transparent conducting oxides on performance of Si-based thin film solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leem, Jung Woo; Yu, Jae Su

    2011-01-01

    The transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films with low-refractive-index (low-n) are fabricated by the oblique-angle sputtering method. By using the experimentally measured physical data of the fabricated low-n TCO films as the simulation parameters, the effect of low-n TCOs on the performance of a-Si:H/μc-Si:H tandem thin film solar cells is investigated using Silvaco ATLAS. The Al-doped zinc oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), and Sb-doped tin oxide films are deposited at the flux incidence angles of θ i = 0 (normal sputtering) and θ i = 80 from the sputtering target during the sputtering process. The oblique-angle sputtered films at θ i = 80 show the inclined columnar nanostructures compared to those at θ i = 0 , modifying the optical properties of the films. This is caused mainly by the increase of porosity within the film which leads to its low-n characteristics. The a-Si:H/μc-Si:H tandem thin film solar cell incorporated with the low-n ITO film exhibits an improvement in the conversion efficiency of ∝1% under AM1.5g illumination because of its higher transmittance and lower absorption compared to that with the ITO film at θ i = 0 , indicating a conversion efficiency of 13.75%. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  11. Comprehensive study of the p-type conductivity formation in radio frequency magnetron sputtered arsenic-doped ZnO film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Yang, B.; Fung, S.; Beling, C. D.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Grambole, D.; Skorupa, W.; Wong, K. S.; Zhong, Y. C.; Xie, Z.; Ling, C. C. [Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam (Hong Kong); Institut fuer Ionenstrahlphysik und Materialforschung, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 510119, D-01314, Dresden (Germany); Institut fuer Strahlenphysik, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 510119, D-01314, Dresden (Germany); Institut fuer Ionenstrahlphysik und Materialforschung, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 510119, D-01314, Dresden (Germany); Department of Physics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong); College of Physics and Microelectronic Science, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam (Hong Kong)

    2011-05-15

    Arsenic doped ZnO and ZnMgO films were deposited on SiO{sub 2} using radio frequency magnetron sputtering and ZnO-Zn{sub 3}As{sub 2} and ZnO-Zn{sub 3}As{sub 2}-MgO targets, respectively. It was found that thermal activation is required to activate the formation of p-type conductivity. Hall measurements showed that p-type films with a hole concentration of {approx}10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and mobility of {approx}8 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} were obtained at substrate temperatures of 400-500 deg. C The shallow acceptor formation mechanism was investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, positron annihilation, low temperature photoluminescence, and nuclear reaction analysis. The authors suggest that the thermal annealing activates the formation of the As{sub Zn}-2V{sub Zn} shallow acceptor complex and removes the compensating hydrogen center.

  12. Effects of surface condition on the work function and valence-band position of ZnSnN2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shing, Amanda M.; Tolstova, Yulia; Lewis, Nathan S.; Atwater, Harry A.

    2017-12-01

    ZnSnN2 is an emerging wide band gap earth-abundant semiconductor with potential applications in photonic devices such as solar cells, LEDs, and optical sensors. We report the characterization by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of reactively radio-frequency sputtered II-IV-nitride ZnSnN2 thin films. For samples transferred in high vacuum, the ZnSnN2 surface work function was 4.0 ± 0.1 eV below the vacuum level, with a valence-band onset of 1.2 ± 0.1 eV below the Fermi level. The resulting band diagram indicates that the degenerate bulk Fermi level position in ZnSnN2 shifts to mid-gap at the surface due to band bending that results from equilibration with delocalized surface states within the gap. Brief (< 10 s) exposures to air, a nitrogen-plasma treatment, or argon-ion sputtering caused significant chemical changes at the surface, both in surface composition and interfacial energetics. The relative band positioning of the n-type semiconductor against standard redox potentials indicated that ZnSnN2 has an appropriate energy band alignment for use as a photoanode to effect the oxygen-evolution reaction.

  13. Improvement of the optoelectronic properties of tin oxide transparent conductive thin films through lanthanum doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mrabet, C., E-mail: chokri.mrabet@hotmail.com; Boukhachem, A.; Amlouk, M.; Manoubi, T.

    2016-05-05

    This work highlights some physical investigations on tin oxide thin films doped with different lanthanum content (ratio La–to-Sn = 0–3%). Such doped thin films have been successfully grown by spray pyrolysis onto glass substrates at 450 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that SnO{sub 2}:La thin films were polycrystalline with tetragonal crystal structure. The preferred orientation of crystallites for undoped SnO{sub 2} thin film was along (110) plane, whereas La-doped ones have rather preferential orientations along (200) direction. Although the grain size values exhibited a decreasing tendency with increasing doping content confirming the role of La as a grain growth inhibitor, dislocation density and microstrain values showed an increasing tendency. Also, Raman spectroscopy shows the bands corresponding to the tetragonal structure for the entire range of La doping. The same technique confirms the presence of La{sub 2}O{sub 3} as secondary phase. Moreover, SEM images showed a porous architecture with presence of big clusters with different sizes and shapes resulting from the agglomeration of small grains round shaped. Photoluminescence spectra of SnO{sub 2}:La thin films exhibit a decrease in the emission intensity with La concentration due to the decrease in grain size. Optical transmittance spectra of the films showed high transparency (∼80%) in the visible region. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed using both Cauchy model and Wemple–Di-Domenico method. The optical band gap values vary slightly with La doping and were found to be around 3.8 eV. It has been found that La doping causes a pronounced decrease in the sheet resistance by up to two orders of magnitude and allows improving the Haacke's figure of merit (Φ) of the sprayed thin films. Moreover, we have introduced for a first time a new figure of merit for qualifying photo-thermal conversion applications. The obtained high conducting and transparent SnO{sub 2}:La

  14. Fabrication of highly conductive Ta-doped SnO{sub 2} polycrystalline films on glass using seed-layer technique by pulse laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakao, Shoichiro, E-mail: tg-s-nakao@newkast.or.j [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Yamada, Naoomi [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); Hitosugi, Taro [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi; Shimada, Toshihiro; Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

    2010-03-31

    We discuss the fabrication of highly conductive Ta-doped SnO{sub 2} (Sn{sub 1-x}Ta{sub x}O{sub 2}; TTO) thin films on glass by pulse laser deposition. On the basis of the comparison of X-ray diffraction patterns and resistivity ({rho}) values between epitaxial films and polycrystalline films deposited on bare glass, we proposed the use of seed-layers for improving the conductivity of the TTO polycrystalline films. We investigated the use of rutile TiO{sub 2} and NbO{sub 2} as seed-layers; these are isostructural materials of SnO{sub 2,} which are expected to promote epitaxial-like growth of the TTO films. The films prepared on the 10-nm-thick seed-layers exhibited preferential growth of the TTO (110) plane. The TTO film with x = 0.05 on rutile TiO{sub 2} exhibited {rho} = 3.5 x 10{sup -4} {Omega} cm, which is similar to those of the epitaxial films grown on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001).

  15. Damp heat stability and annealing behavior of aluminum doped zinc oxide films prepared by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tohsophon, T.; Huepkes, J.; Calnan, S.; Reetz, W.; Rech, B.; Beyer, W.; Sirikulrat, N.

    2006-01-01

    The damp heat stability and subsequent vacuum annealing behavior of aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) films was investigated using Hall effect measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical spectrometry techniques. The AZO films were deposited on glass or silicon wafers using reactive and non-reactive magnetron sputtering from metallic and ceramic targets, respectively. Additionally, we characterized surface textured AZO films, which are used as light scattering transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in silicon thin film solar cells. For all films a degradation of the electrical film properties was found after the damp heat treatment. For thick compact films, with large grain size, only a small increase in the electrical resistivity was observed, whereas less compact films prepared at high deposition pressures or very thin films (< 300 nm) showed an increase in resistivity by up to a factor of three already after 300 h. The conductivity degradation during damp heat treatment could be largely reversed by annealing in vacuum. However, annealing temperatures of at least 150 deg. C were required. Possible mechanisms explaining the experimental results are discussed

  16. Investigation of corrosion behavior of nitrogen doped and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon thin films in Hank's solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khun, N.W.; Liu, E., E-mail: MEJLiu@ntu.edu.sg

    2011-10-10

    Undoped (DLC), nitrogen-doped (N-DLC) and platinum/ruthenium doped diamond-like carbon (PtRu-DLC) thin films were deposited on p-Si (100) substrates using a DC magnetron sputtering deposition system. The chemical composition, bonding structure, surface morphology and adhesion strength of the films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro-Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and micro-scratch test, respectively. The corrosion behavior of the films in a Hank's solution was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization test. The corrosion results revealed that the PtRu-DLC film had the highest corrosion potential among the films used in this study. Highlights: {yields} DLC thin films were deposited on Si substrates via dc magnetron sputtering. {yields} Some DLC films were doped with N and/or Pt/Ru. {yields} The film corrosion behavior was studied in a Hank solution with polarization test. {yields} The PtRu-DLC film showed the highest corrosion potential among the films studied.

  17. Effect of TCO/μc-Si:H Interface Modification on Hydrogenated Microcrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shin-Wei Liang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The effects of H2 plasma exposure on optical, electrical, and structural properties of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO and AZO/FTO substrates have been investigated. With increasing the time of H2-plasma exposure, the hydrogen radical and ions penetrated through the FTO surface to form more suboxides such as SnO and metallic Sn, which was confirmed by the XPS analysis. The Sn reduction on the FTO surface can be effectively eliminated by capping the FTO with a very thin layer of sputtered aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO, as confirmed by the XPS analysis. By using the AZO/FTO as front TCO with the subsequent annealing, the p-i-n μc-Si:H cell exhibited a significantly enhanced JSC from 15.97 to 19.40 mA/cm2 and an increased conversion efficiency from 5.69% to 7.09%. This significant enhancement was ascribed to the effective elimination of the Sn reduction on the FTO surface by the thin AZO layer during the Si-based thin-film deposition with hydrogen-rich plasma exposure. Moreover, the subsequent annealing of the sputtered AZO could lead to less defects as well as a better interface of AZO/FTO.

  18. Indium--tin oxide films radio frequency sputtered from specially formulated high density indium--tin oxide targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulkarni, S.; Bayard, M.

    1991-01-01

    High density ITO (indium--tin oxide) targets doped with Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 manufactured in the Tektronix Ceramics Division have been used to rf sputter ITO films of various thicknesses on borosilicate glass substrates. Sputtering in an oxygen--argon gas mixture and annealing in forming gas, resulted in ITO films exhibiting 90% transmission at 550 nm and a sheet resistance of 15 Ω/sq for a thickness of 1100 A. Sputtering in an oxygen--argon gas mixture and annealing in air increased sheet resistance without a large effect on the transmission. Films sputtered in argon gas alone were transparent in the visible and the sheet resistance was found to be 100--180 Ω/sq for the same thickness, without annealing

  19. Setup for in situ X-ray diffraction studies of thin film growth by magnetron sputtering

    CERN Document Server

    Ellmer, K; Weiss, V; Rossner, H

    2001-01-01

    A novel method is described for the in situ-investigation of nucleation and growth of thin films during magnetron sputtering. Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction with synchrotron light is used for the structural analysis during film growth. An in situ-magnetron sputtering chamber was constructed and installed at a synchrotron radiation beam line with a bending magnet. The white synchrotron light (1-70 keV) passes the sputtering chamber through Kapton windows and hits one of the substrates on a four-fold sample holder. The diffracted beam, observed under a fixed diffraction angle between 3 deg. and 10 deg., is energy analyzed by a high purity Ge-detector. The in situ-EDXRD setup is demonstrated for the growth of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering from a metallic target.

  20. Field emission from patterned SnO2 nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yongsheng; Yu Ke; Li Guodong; Peng Deyan; Zhang Qiuxiang; Hu Hongmei; Xu Feng; Bai Wei; Ouyang Shixi; Zhu Ziqiang

    2006-01-01

    A simple and reliable method has been developed for synthesizing finely patterned tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanostructure arrays on silicon substrates. A patterned Au catalyst film was prepared on the silicon wafer by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and photolithographic patterning processes. The patterned SnO 2 nanostructures arrays, a unit area is of ∼500 μm x 200 μm, were synthesized via vapor phase transport method. The surface morphology and composition of the as-synthesized SnO 2 nanostructures were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanism of formation of SnO 2 nanostructures was also discussed. The measurement of field emission (FE) revealed that the as-synthesized SnO 2 nanorods, nanowires and nanoparticles arrays have a lower turn-on field of 2.6, 3.2 and 3.9 V/μm, respectively, at the current density of 0.1 μA/cm 2 . This approach must have a wide variety of applications such as fabrications of micro-optical components and micropatterned oxide thin films used in FE-based flat panel displays, sensor arrays and so on