Abstract:

The increasing demand in the diverse device applications of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) requires synthesis of new TCOs of n- or p-type conductivity. This article is about materials engineering of ZnO–SnO₂–In₂O₃–Ga₂O₃ to synthesize powders of the quaternary compound Zn₂₋xSn₁₋xInxGaxO_4−δ in the stoichiometry of x = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 by solid state reaction at 1275 °C. Lattice parameters were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and solubility of In³⁺ and Ga³⁺ in spinel Zn₂SnO₄ was found at 1275 °C. The solubility limit of In³⁺ and Ga³⁺ in Zn₂SnO₄ is found at below x = 0.4. The optical transmittance approximated by the UV–Vis reflectance spectra showed excellent characteristics while optical band gap was consistent across 3.2 eV with slight decrease along increasing x value. Carrier mobility of the species was considerably higher than the older versions of zinc stannate spinel co-substitutions whereas the carrier concentrations were moderate.

Key words: Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), Structural studies, Mobility, Optical properties