Single step synthesis of highly conductive room-temperature stable cation-substituted mayenite electride target and thin film
Abstract
Novel approaches to synthesize efficient inorganic electride [Ca24Al28O64]4+(e-)4 (thereafter, C12A7:e-) at ambient pressure under nitrogen atmosphere, are actively sought out to reduce the cost of massive formation of nanosized powder as well as compact large size target production. It led to a new era in low cost industrial applications of this abundant material as Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs) and as a catalyst. Therefore, the present study about C12A7:e- electride is directed towards challenges of cation doping in C12A7:e- to enhance the conductivity and form target to deposit thin film. Our investigation for cation doping on structural and electrical properties of Sn- and Si-doped C12A7:e- (Si-C12A7:e, and Sn-C12A7:e-) reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite shows the maximum achieved conductivities of 5.79 S.cm-1 and 1.75 S.cm-1 respectively. On the other hand when both samples melted, then rGO free Sn-C12A7:e- and Si-C12A7:e- were obtained, with conductivities 280 S.cm-1 and 300 S.cm-1, respectively. Iodometry based measured electron concentration of rGO free Sn-C12A7:e- and Si-C12A7:e-, 3 inch electride targets were 2.22 × 1021 cm-3, with relative 97 ± 0.5% density, and 2.23 × 1021 cm-3 with relative 99 ± 0.5% density, respectively. Theoretical conductivity was already reported excluding any associated experimental support. Hence the above results manifested feasibility of this sol-gel method for different elements doping to further boost up the electrical properties.
- Publication:
-
Scientific Reports
- Pub Date:
- March 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1038/s41598-019-41512-7
- Bibcode:
- 2019NatSR...9.4967K