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

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2023-03, Vol.34 (7), p.632, Article 632
• Main Authors: Yadav, Saurabh, Singh, Amit Kumar, Roy, M. K., Katharria, Y. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Dielectric loss; Dielectric properties; Diffraction patterns; Dispersion; Electrical resistivity; Energy value; Gallium oxides; Grain boundaries; Grain size; High temperature; Lattice parameters; Materials Science; Nanocomposites; Nyquist plots; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Permittivity; Relaxation time; Stoichiometry; Temperature dependence; Tin; Tin compounds; Tin dioxide
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-023-10010-y

The optical, structural, and dielectric properties of SnO 2 –Ga 2 O 3 nanocomposites were investigated in details. Sn-mixed Ga 2 O 3 compounds (Sn content ~ 0–10 mol%) were synthesized using high-temperature solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the formation of monoclinic structure of Ga 2 O 3 . The grain size and lattice parameters of pure Ga 2 O 3 were not significantly affected by Sn incorporation. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy images showed the formation of SnO 2 –Ga 2 O 3 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 Ga 2 O 3 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 ~ 325 to 508 μs 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 Ga 2 O 3 compounds.