Zinc Tin Research Articles

Enhanced Absorption in SnS/SnSe, SnS/ZnS, and SnS/ZnSe vdW Heterostructures for Optoelectronic Applications: DFT Insights

Abstract The electronic and optical properties of monolayers of tin monochalcogenides and zinc monochalcogenides are elucidated by utilizing density functional theory. The calculated results indicate that the monolayers of tin monochalcogenides (SnS and SnSe) have low bandgap and significant absorption in some segments of the visible region (~400 nm to ~500 nm). However, the monolayers of zinc monochalcogenides (ZnS and ZnSe) have wide bandgap and negligible absorption in the visible region, which limits their optical performance. Despite low absorption in visible region, ZnS and ZnSe exhibit fascinating properties such as wide band gap, cheapness, low toxicity, earth abundance, structural stability, and high refractive index. To identify the combined potential of zinc and tin, the van der Waals heterostructures SnS/SnSe, SnS/ZnS, and SnS/ZnSe are formed, and their optical and electronic properties are calculated. The calculated results illustrate that the formed heterostructures exhibit bandgap lowering and enhanced visible light absorption. The optical absorption is entirely shifted towards the visible region due to the formation of heterostructure (redshift). The enhanced visible light absorption and narrowed bandgap of the formed heterostructures make them a potential candidate for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices and solar cells.

A Comparative Review of Graphene and MXene-Based Composites towards Gas Sensing.

Graphene and MXenes have emerged as promising materials for gas sensing applications due to their unique properties and superior performance. This review focuses on the fabrication techniques, applications, and sensing mechanisms of graphene and MXene-based composites in gas sensing. Gas sensors are crucial in various fields, including healthcare, environmental monitoring, and industrial safety, for detecting and monitoring gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ammonia (NH3). Conventional metal oxides like tin oxide (SnO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) have been widely used, but graphene and MXenes offer enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and response times. Graphene-based sensors can detect low concentrations of gases like H2S and NH3, while functionalization can improve their gas-specific selectivity. MXenes, a new class of two-dimensional materials, exhibit high electrical conductivity and tunable surface chemistry, making them suitable for selective and sensitive detection of various gases, including VOCs and humidity. Other materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and conducting polymers, have also shown potential in gas sensing applications, which may be doped into graphene and MXene layers to improve the sensitivity of the sensors.

Numerical simulation of lead-free MASnI3 perovskite/silicon heterojunction for solar cells and photodetectors

Lead free n-type doped methyl ammonium tin iodide (MASnI3) perovskite/p-Silicon heterojunction (HJ) for solar cells and photodetectors are simulated using AFORS-HET automat simulation software. In the earlier work, lead based methyl ammonium lead iodide perovskite/silicon (n-MAPbI3/p-Si) heterojunction devices were studied. In view of the toxicity and environmental concerns related to lead, it is substituted with tin to make lead-free tin based perovskite to make n-MASnI3/p-Si HJ devices. Various parameters associated with the layers of MASnI3 perovskite and silicon wafer like, Band gap, thickness, doping concentration and texturing angle have been optimized. Various transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials like indium tin oxide (ITO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are used and its performance with ideal device is compared. Various metals are considered as front and back contact, to obtain best metals for each sides. This study investigates the potential of lead-free perovskite materials in solar cells, achieving a notable efficiency improvement compared to traditional lead-based counterparts. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that the optimized lead-free perovskite with structures, n-MASnI3/p-Si heterojunction can reach efficiencies of 27.2%. These findings suggest that lead-free perovskites could serve as a viable, environmentally friendly alternative in the photovoltaic industry.

Indium–Tin–Zinc Ternary Amorphous Oxide Nanoparticles for Acetone Detection and Elucidation of Sensing Mechanism by Operando Spectroscopy

Indium–Tin–Zinc Ternary Amorphous Oxide Nanoparticles for Acetone Detection and Elucidation of Sensing Mechanism by Operando Spectroscopy

Inorganic charge transport layer for efficient Pb-free KSnI3 based perovskite solar cells: a theoretical study

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of lead (Pb)-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is remarkably high; however, the toxicity of Pb poses a significant barrier to their commercial viability. In the current study, the effect of different charge transport layer (CTL) materials on the performance of the Pb free Sn-based (KSnI3) PSCs has been studied by using SCAPS simulations. Tin oxide (SnO2), zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide as electron transport materials, whereas spiro-OMeTAD, copper oxide (Cu2O), and nickel oxide as hole transport layer materials were iterated to achieve the optimum photovoltaic parameters. The photovoltaic parameters were optimized in terms of the active layer and CTL thicknesses, as well as the doping concentration, defect density, and interfacial defect density. Moreover, the impact of series and shunt resistance on the performance of PSCs is also investigated. The most efficient PSC with PCE of 21.75% was achieved with the device structure of FTO/SnO2/KSnI3/Cu2O. This efficiency is higher than previously reported KSnI3 based-PSCs. The SnO2 (ETL) and Cu2O were proven to be most efficient choices for the CTL materials. It was also observed that the carbon, nickel, and selenium can be a cost-effective alternative to gold for the rear contact. This study showcases how KSnI3 with inorganic charge transport layers stands as a prospective stable PSC with the potential to deliver clean, and green renewable energy solutions.

Efficiency enhancement of novel ITO/ZnSe/CNTs thin film solar cell

This study presents a novel photovoltaic cell design utilizing a layered structure of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Zinc Selenide (ZnSe), and Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) for enhanced solar energy conversion. We employed the Solar Cell Capacity Simulator (SCAPS-1D) to model and optimize the device under AM 1.5 spectrum conditions. Our simulations systematically investigated the influence of key parameters including layer thicknesses, doping concentrations, temperature, back contact work function, and parasitic resistances on cell performance. The optimized structure demonstrated a theoretical power conversion efficiency of 29.91%, with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 799 mV, a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 43.49 mA/cm², and a fill factor (FF) of 86.02%. These promising results are attributed to the synergistic combination of CNTs' broad spectral absorption, ZnSe's effective charge separation, and optimized layer properties. We found that the CNT absorber layer's doping concentration significantly impacted cell performance, with an optimal value of 10¹⁷ cm⁻³. The ZnSe buffer layer thickness showed minimal effect on efficiency within the studied range. Temperature increases from 300 K to 400 K led to a significant efficiency drop from 33.97% to 24.65%, primarily due to Voc reduction. While these results represent idealized conditions and upper theoretical limits, they provide valuable insights for the potential of CNT-based solar cells. This study offers a roadmap for future experimental work in high-efficiency thin-film photovoltaics, highlighting the promise of novel material combinations and the importance of device architecture optimization.

Highly Scaled BEOL-Compatible Thin Film Transistors With Ultrathin Atomic Layer Deposited Indium–Tin–Zinc–Oxide Channel

Highly Scaled BEOL-Compatible Thin Film Transistors With Ultrathin Atomic Layer Deposited Indium–Tin–Zinc–Oxide Channel

ZnSnO3 - SnO2 nanocomposite as a catalyst for efficient hydrogen production through sodium borohydride methanolysis

In this work, we describe a straightforward modified sol gel approach for producing zinc stannate-tin oxide (ZnSnO3-SnO2) nanocomposite particles by combining tin chloride and zinc acetate using EDTA ammonium salt as an electrosteric inhibition agent. The acquired samples were characterized using simultaneous thermal gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The catalyst activity of ZnSnO3-SnO2 particles in hydrogen production was determined by the methanolysis reaction from NaBH4. The hydrogen generation rate TOF (Turnover Frequency) The hydrogen generation rate, activation energy (Ea), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) values of the hydrogen production reaction were calculated as 374.11 ml min−1.g−1 (832.38 h−1), 43.19 kJ mol−1, 40.65 kJ mol−1 and -178.96 J/mol.K, respectively. The prepared ZnSnO3-SnO2 composite can be recycled and used without obvious loss of activity; This makes the procedure economical and environmentally friendly.

Elastic properties and microstructure evolution of Zn2SnO4-spinel-containing composite ceramics based on tin oxide and zinc oxide

Ceramics based on tin oxide (SnO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were sintered at temperatures up to 1400 °C. Except for the end members, all these ceramics are two- or three-phase composites containing spinel phase (Zn2SnO4). Similar to pure SnO2 ceramics, also the spinel-rich composite (50:50 mixture) does not exhibit densification after sintering at 1400 °C. Spinel Zn2SnO4 is formed in all composites, with a major increase of spinel content at around 1000 °C. Young’s modulus values, determined via impulse excitation, are between the exponential relation for convex pores and a benchmark relation for concave pores (or a percolation relation). The evolution of Young’s modulus during sintering reveals significant differences between SnO2 (weak increase above 1000 °C), ZnO (significant increase above 800 °C) and the composites (intermediate). Spinel formation is revealed during heating by a distinct peak (elastic anomaly) at around 1000 °C.

Enhanced electrical properties of amorphous In-Sn-Zn oxides through heterostructuring with Bi2Se3 topological insulators

Amorphous indium tin zinc oxide (a-ITZO)/Bi2Se3 nanoplatelets (NPs) were fabricated using a two-step procedure. First, Bi2Se3 NPs were synthesized through thermal chemical vapor deposition at 600 °C on a glass substrate, and then a-ITZO was deposited on the surface of the Bi2Se3 NPs via magnetron sputtering at room-temperature. The crystal structures of the a-ITZO/Bi2Se3 NPs were determined via X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The elemental vibration modes and binding energies were measured using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The morphologies were examined using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrical properties of the a-ITZO/Bi2Se3 NPs were evaluated using Hall effect measurements. The bulk carrier concentration of a-ITZO was not affected by the heterostructure with Bi2Se3. In the case of the Bi2Se3 heterostructure, the carrier mobility and conductivity of a-ITZO were increased by 263.6% and 281.4%, respectively, whereas the resistivity of a-ITZO was reduced by 73.57%. This indicates that Bi2Se3 significantly improves the electrical properties of a-ITZO through its heterostructure, expanding its potential applications in electronic and thermoelectric devices.

Sol-gel synthesis and photoluminescent properties of metal oxide-metal oxide coupled nanocomposites

Tin oxide (SnO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) coupled metal-oxide nanocomposites or SnO2–ZnO were prepared using a sol-gel method. The stretching mode frequencies and crystal structures were examined by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The microscopic analyses by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed a flower-like morphology of the nanocomposites. The analysis of surface chemical and electronic states was conducted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The band gap energies as confirmed from the ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) data were found to be larger than those of the bulk band gaps due to the increase between energy levels associated with smaller particle sizes. The UV (380 nm) and orange (595) photoluminescence (PL) emissions observed from the SnO2:ZnO nanocomposites were attributed to a combinatorial contribution from radiative transitions in SnO2 and ZnO components. The proposed mechanisms of these emissions are discussed.

Effect of tin concentrations on the elemental and optical properties of zinc oxide thin films

Pure zinc oxide and Sn-doped ZnO thin films were deposited on a pre-heated glass substrate from tin (II) chloride dihydrate (SnCl2.2H2O) and zinc acetate (Zn(CH3COO))2 precursors using spray pyrolysis technique. The doped films were achieved by adding various quantities of (SnCl2. 2H2O) precursor to the solution of zinc acetate in volume percent range of 0–10. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) was used to characterise the prepared films to determine their thickness and elemental composition. To examine the films' optical characteristics, a UV spectrometer operating at room temperature and covering a wavelength range of 300–1100 nm was employed. The film's thickness and composition show that as the volume of Sn in the thin films increases, so does the film's thickness. With average transmittance values up to 70 %, all the films are quite transparent in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and have a significant UV cut-off at roughly 380 nm. The reflectivity of Sn-doped ZnO films is seen to be independent of the volume of Sn in the films, and the reflectivity of the films diminishes as the wavelength increases. Sn-doped ZnO thin film has an optical band gap of 3.14–3.18 eV. The properties of the thin film produced make it suitable for solar energy collection and improve the efficiency of solar energy system, various optoelectronics devices and sensor.

Nanostructured Channel for Improving Emission Efficiency of Hybrid Light-Emitting Field-Effect Transistors.

We report on the mechanism of enhancing the luminance and external quantum efficiency (EQE) by developing nanostructured channels in hybrid (organic/inorganic) light-emitting transistors (HLETs) that combine a solution-processed oxide and a polymer heterostructure. The heterostructure comprised two parts: (i) the zinc tin oxide/zinc oxide (ZTO/ZnO), with and without ZnO nanowires (NWs) grown on the top of the ZTO/ZnO stack, as the charge transport layer and (ii) a polymer Super Yellow (SY, also known as PDY-132) layer as the light-emitting layer. Device characterization shows that using NWs significantly improves luminance and EQE (≈1.1% @ 5000 cd m-2) compared to previously reported similar HLET devices that show EQE < 1%. The size and shape of the NWs were controlled through solution concentration and growth time, which also render NWs to have higher crystallinity. Notably, the size of the NWs was found to provide higher escape efficiency for emitted photons while offering lower contact resistance for charge injection, which resulted in the improved optical performance of HLETs. These results represent a significant step forward in enabling efficient and all-solution-processed HLET technology for lighting and display applications.

Influence of the Morphological and Chemical Properties of Nanosized Metal Oxides on Catalytic Efficiency for the Cycloaddition Reaction of CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; to Epoxides

Metal oxides represent “workhorse catalysts” for the chemical industry with multifarious applications in dehydrogenation, metathesis, transesterification, and combustion reactions. It is therefore crucial, for each given catalytic process, to investigate the impact of morphological and physicochemical properties on catalytic performance. Metal oxide materials are being increasingly applied as inexpensive catalytic materials for the cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides but the correlation between the chemical properties of the metal oxides and their catalytic activity has not been systematically investigated. In this work, we prepared nanostructured tin (IV) oxide (SnO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) materials with different morphologies such as quantum dots (QDs), nanowires (NWs), microdisks (µDs) and nanoplates (NPLs). Following characterization, these materials were investigated, in combination with low amounts of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI) as a nucleophile, for the CO2 cycloaddition to styrene oxide (SO) yielding cyclic styrene carbonate (SC) under atmospheric pressure. The correlation between catalytic performance, surface area, acidity and basicity was investigated and discussed.

Eco-friendly synthesis of anti-microbial and anti-fungal binary metal oxide decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites with complimenting density functional studies

Recently, graphene-based nanocomposites are increasingly becoming popular for a variety of biological applications, due to their extraordinary physicochemical properties. Herein, we present an eco-friendly method for the preparation of a novel nanocomposite based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with tin oxide (SnO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The rGO and binary metal oxides-based nanocomposite (rGO/ZnO/SnO2) with enhanced biocompatibility was prepared by using Mentha longifolia extract as a non-hazardous reducing agent. The rich polyphenolic and flavonoids contents of Mentha longifolia have functioned as potential bio-reductants, which are not only suitable for the synthesis of rGO/ZnO/SnO2, but also effectively stabilized the resulting composite. Initially, to determine the reducing ability of Mentha longifolia, the redox potential and chemical composition of green extract was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), respectively. On the other hand, the structural composition and morphology of the resultant composite was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV–visible spectroscopy (UV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Furthermore, the biological potential of rGO/ZnO/SnO2 is determined by evaluating the antimicrobial and antifungal properties of the resulting composite against various pathogens such as, Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Candida albicans (CA) and Clostridium dificile (CD). Notably, the composite has demonstrated superior antibacterial and antifungal properties when compared to its individual counterparts including rGO, SnO2 and ZnO. Density functional calculations complement the experimental findings, as the periodic boundary conditions reveal high binding energy of −14.8 keV for the rGO/ZnO/SnO2 nanocomposite.

Optoelectronic enhancement of ZnO/p-Si Schottky barrier photodiodes by (Sn,Ti) co-doping

In this study, metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) ZnO-based Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) were fabricated on the basis of titanium-doped tin–zinc oxide (SZT) films by sol–gel spin coating. Au/(Sn:Zn):Ti:ZnO/p-Si/Au SBDs with varying wt% of Ti were then fabricated. The effects of Ti doping concentration on the structural, optical, and electrical properties were studied. The doped films are consistently homogeneous with increasing Ti content. The optical measurements confirm high film transmittance in the visible spectrum. The optical band gap energy of the SZT films was around 3.90 ± 0.02 eV. The current–voltage, impedance spectroscopic, and photoresponse measurements showed that Ti-doping improved the performance of the devices by increasing the barrier heights and hence the rectification ratios of the devices. The reduction in ideality factors and series resistances implies that Ti doping improves the devices towards near-ideal behavior by passivating interface states.

The influence of the SrTiO3 buffer layer on the ferroelectric properties of the Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3 thin films prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique

The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique is employed in this research to fabricate thin films of Silicon-doped Tin Zinc Oxide (Si-SnZnO3) on a Magnesium Oxide (MgO) substrate. Additionally, Si-SnZnO3 thin films are grown on a Strontium Titanate (SrTiO3 or STO) buffer layer with a thickness of 60 nm, which is deposited on the MgO substrate. The target materials used in the PLD technique, Si-SnZnO3, and SrTiO3, are prepared using the solid-state technique. The current study aims to explore the influence of the STO buffer layer on the ferroelectric behavior of the Si-SnZnO3-grown film. Accordingly, the structure, morphology, and film thickness of Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3/MgO and Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3/STO/MgO samples are investigated using X-Ray Diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscope techniques respectively. Furthermore, the uniformity of different film thicknesses grown on STO/MgO is investigated using Atomic Force Microscopy. Both the resistivity and the carrier mobility for Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3 /MgO sample are 3.22 × 103 Ω.m, and 7.35 × 107 m/(V⋅s) (semiconductor), whereas there are 4.31 × 103 Ω.m, and 63.1 m/(V⋅s) (insulator) for the Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3/STO/MgO substrates, respectively. The Polarization-Electric Field hysteresis loops of different film thicknesses show Lossy capacitor response and Non-linear ferroelectric response for Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3/MgO, and Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3/STO/MgO, correspondingly. Moreover, the ferroelectricity parameters of the Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3 films deposited on the STO/MgO were improved by an order of magnitude compared to the thin film on the MgO substrate. The obtained results indicate that Si0.5Sn0.5ZnO3/STO/MgO configuration could be suitable for Ferroelectric Random Access Memory applications.

Numerical simulation of Transparent Gate Thin-Film Transistor (TG-TFT) with varied gate materials for high-performance applications

This work presents the performance evaluation of Transparent Gate Thin-Film Transistor (TG-TFT) with the relative analysis of numerous materials such as Aluminum (Al), Gold (Au), Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), and Titanium Nitride (TiN). This work also aims to find the best suitable gate material on the TFT for high-performance applications through a solid thin film. It is observed from the outcomes that TG-TFT performance improves significantly with TiN gate in terms of mobility (∼4 times), switching ratio (ION/IOFF) by 46.42 %, and electric field by ∼ 29 % as compared to conventional gate material (Au). Further, surface potential and energy band profile have been shown. Therefore, the examination shows the perspective of TiN as gate materials that can be reused for requests in nanoelectronics tools and designing of IC boards owing to the better conductivity, robustness, and cheap nature of TiN along with proven results it can be used as a gate material.

Exploring the potential of nanosized oxides of zinc and tin as recyclable catalytic components for the synthesis of cyclic organic carbonates under atmospheric CO2 pressure

Nanomaterials based on tin (IV) oxide (SnO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were investigated in the search for active, environmentally benign, and inexpensive materials for the crucial reaction of CO2 cycloaddition to epoxides to afford cyclic carbonates. In particular, nanoparticles (NPs), nanorods (NRs), nanosheets (NSs) and microplates (µPLs) were prepared and used in combination with small amounts of TBAI (tetrabutylammonium iodide) as the nucleophile. Different from the general case of metal oxides, often requiring harsh reaction conditions, the most active compound in this study, SnO2-NPs, served as an active material for the cycloaddition of CO2 to several terminal epoxides under atmospheric pressure at moderate temperatures (60–80 °C) and could also be employed for converting internal epoxides under harsher conditions. Importantly, SnO2-NPs could also be used in the presence of impure CO2 feeds (20% methane in CO2) resembling low calorific landfill gas and could be recycled and reused. Overall, SnO2-NPs represent a promising, readily available, and inexpensive metal oxide-based material to produce cyclic carbonates under atmospheric CO2 pressure.

Zinc–Tin oxide/C8-BTBT hybrid heterostructures providing balanced ambipolar charge transport behaviors and their applications to pre-state-dependent inverter logic

Zinc–Tin oxide/C8-BTBT hybrid heterostructures providing balanced ambipolar charge transport behaviors and their applications to pre-state-dependent inverter logic