Structural, electrical and optical properties investigation of nano-sized Sb0.1(SnO2)0.9

Solid state reaction method was used to prepare Sb-x(SnO2)(1-x) (x = 0 and 0.1) with sintering temperatures, 600 degrees C and 800 degrees C. The crystallographic properties of undoped and doped SnO2 materials results showed the tetragonal rutile structure of SnO2. The crystallinity was clear and increased with increasing the heat treatment. For the most diffraction peaks the microstrain is negative because d(o) < d(s) indicating the generation of residual compressive stress in the surface. Rietveld refinement proved that a good fitting parameters R-p, R-wp, and chi (2) makes the derived samples to be in a high quality, especially Sb-0.1(SnO2)(0.9) sample. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated that a spherical shape of SnO2 with nanoparticles but plates and nanorods shaped of SnO2 were detected for Sb-0.1(SnO2)(0.9) compound that was sintered at 800 degrees C. SnO2 has grain size 67 nm and 86 nm at sintering temperatures 600 degrees C and 800 degrees C respectively, but after adding Sb the grain size decreases to be approximate to 44 nm at the same sintering temperatures. The electrical resistivity, rho, of Sb-0.1(SnO2)(0.9) behaved as semiconductor-like. The magnetoresistance, MR, results showed that rho(0.6 tesla) rho(0 tesla) at T-sint = 600 degrees C where rho (0.6 tesla) > rho (0 tesla) at T-sint = 800 degrees C because the crystallinity increased with increasing of the sintering temperatures. The results of seebeck showed that charge carriers are n-tape at T-sint = 600 degrees C and p-type at T-sint = 800 degrees C. The optical energy band, E ( g ) of Sb-0.1(SnO2)(0.9) which were 2.49 eV and 3.21 eV at T-sint = 600 degrees C and 800 degrees C respectively and the high values of the transmittance make this compound is candidate to work as window layer in solar cell applications. The results of susceptibility denotes that the Sb-0.1(SnO2)(0.9) compound is a paramagnetic material.

Automated summary

The solid state reaction method was used to prepare Sb-doped SnO2 materials, which showed improved crystallinity and reduced grain size due to the doping. The doped materials exhibited semiconductor-like behavior and showed potential as window layers in solar cell applications. Additionally, the materials exhibited paramagnetic properties.