Structural characterization of zinc stannate thin films

Polycrystalline thin films of Zn2SnO4 were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates. Films were characterized by theta-2theta x-ray diffraction and by Sn-119 conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy. The films were randomly oriented in a cubic spinel structure. Comparison of x-ray diffraction peak intensities with structure-factor-calculated peak intensities confirmed that the films were in an inverse spinel configuration. Mossbauer studies detected two distinct Sn4+ octahedral sites. These distinct sites may be induced by distortions in the lattice associated with equally distinct Zn2+ octahedral sites. A model is suggested to explain that the relatively low electron mobility of Zn2SnO4 may be associated with disorder on the cation octahedral sites. This may disrupt transport between edge-sharing d(10)s(0) electronically configured cations. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.