Influence of Irradiation on Structural and Optical Properties of Zn2SnO4 Nanostructured Thin Films

Abstract

Zinc stannate Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) thin films were prepared using a chemical pyrolysis method by spraying with different molar ratios (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1), then irradiated with gamma rays emitted from cobalt (60Co) to study the structural (XRD) and optical properties before and after irradiation. X-ray examination results showed that all the prepared films were polycrystalline, cubic type, and the irradiation shifted the diffraction peaks towards the lower angles. It was also found that the best molar ratio is (1:2). The topography of the film surface was studied by an atomic force microscope (AFM). The results showed that the highest value was at the (1:2) ratio, and the results of field-emitting scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) showed that the surface is homogeneous, has a regular distribution, and the crystal size values range between 42 and 59 nm. Optical properties were also studied, such as absorbency and transmittance, as a function of wavelength and optical energy gap before and after irradiation. It was found that irradiation increased absorbency and decreased transmittance, and the lowest optical energy gap value was at the ratio (2:1) before and after irradiation.