Structural characterization of zinc stannate thin films

Polycrystalline thin films of ${\mathrm{Zn}}_2{\mathrm{SnO}}_4$ were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates. Films were characterized by θ–2θ x-ray diffraction and by ${}^{\mathrm{119}}\mathrm{Sn}$ conversion electron Mössbauer 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. Mössbauer studies detected two distinct ${\mathrm{Sn}}^{\text{4+}}$ octahedral sites. These distinct sites may be induced by distortions in the lattice associated with equally distinct ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{\text{2+}}$ octahedral sites. A model is suggested to explain that the relatively low electron mobility of ${\mathrm{Zn}}_2{\mathrm{SnO}}_4$ may be associated with disorder on the cation octahedral sites. This may disrupt transport between edge-sharing $d^{10}{s}^0$ electronically configured cations.