Dielectric and structural properties of pure and Sn-mixed Ga2O3 compounds

The optical, structural, and dielectric properties of SnO2-Ga2O3 nanocomposites were investigated in details. Sn-mixed Ga2O3 compounds (Sn content similar to 0-10 mol%) were synthesized using high-temperature solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the formation of monoclinic structure of Ga2O3. The grain size and lattice parameters of pure Ga2O3 were not significantly affected by Sn incorporation. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy images showed the formation of SnO2-Ga2O3 nanocomposites. These nanocomposites agglomerate with increasing Sn content. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and mapping data confirmed the chemical stoichiometry of all the samples and uniform distribution of the elemental composition over the microstructure. The dielectric properties of as-grown samples showed the traditional dielectric dispersion behavior and follows Maxwell-Wagner polarization. The mixing of Sn in Ga2O3 has significantly influenced the frequency- and temperature-dependent dielectric measurements. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss decrease, while the electrical conductivity increases with increasing Sn content. The Nyquist plot showed that both grains and grain boundaries contribute to the relaxation process. The frequency dependence of the dielectric constant follows the modified Debye model with a relaxation time of similar to 325 to 508 mu s and a spreading factor of 0.3781 to 0.5469. The temperature dependence of dielectric study showed that the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and electrical conductivity increase with the increase in temperature. The activation energy values for relaxation time and conductivity were found within the range 0.122-436 eV and 0.188-588 eV, respectively. The results show that the structure, optical, and dielectric properties can be tailored by tuning Sn content in the Sn-mixed Ga2O3 compounds.

Automated summary

The optical, structural, and dielectric properties of SnO2-Ga2O3 nanocomposites were studied. The addition of Sn in Ga2O3 significantly influenced the dielectric measurements. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss decreased, while the electrical conductivity increased with increasing Sn content.