Analysis of structural and electrical properties of Sn modified Ca0.6Sr0.4TiO3 ceramics

Abstract

In this study, we synthesized Ca0.6Sr0.4Ti1-xSnxO3 ceramics using the solid-state reaction technique, varying the Sn compositions from x = 0.0 to 0.08. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a slight modification in the crystallographic structure of calcium strontium titanate (CST) as the Sn content increased, while confirming the formation of single-phase ceramics. Parameters such as crystallite size, lattice strain, stacking fault, and dislocation density were estimated based on the XRD data. Crystallite size generally increased with higher tin concentrations, except for x = 0.08 where a decrease was observed. The FTIR spectra exhibited a broad band, and deconvolution using a Gaussian distribution was employed to identify structural units. Density measurements demonstrated densification with increasing Sn content. The activation energy values increased from 0.76 eV for undoped CST to 0.95 eV for x = 0.06, except for x = 0.08, which measured 0.89 eV, indicating the role of Sn in modifying the structure. Activation energy was determined through linear fitting of experimental data, revealing that the reciprocal temperature dependence of DC conductivity followed Arrhenius behaviour. These findings contribute novel insights into the synthesis and characterization of Ca0.6Sr0.4Ti1-xSnxO3 ceramics, highlighting the impact of Sn on the structural and electrical properties of CST.