Zinc stannate by reactive laser sintering

A novel procedure for producing polycrystalline zinc stannate (Zn2SnO4, ZTO) films is presented in this paper. Nanocrystals of zinc oxide (ZnO) and fin dioxide (SnO2) are prepared by chemical vapor synthesis (CVS) and processed into stable aqueous dispersions including mixed colloids. These colloids are transformed into nanostructured films via electrophoretic deposition where the mixed colloid forms a homogeneous, nanoscaled composite. Ultraviolet (UV) laser sintering of these codeposited ZnO-SnO2 nanocrystals generates the inverse cubic spinel Zn2SnO4 phase by chemical reaction on the area of interest. The effects of UV laser sintering at a wavelength of 325 nm on the nanoscaled microstructure of pure deposited films are investigated by variation of laser power and scanning speed. The microstructure of composite films is compared to a film obtained by classical reactive sintering in a furnace. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are used to investigate film morphology and chemical composition. Structural characterization is performed by X-ray diffraction.