Reaction Time Study of Zinc Stannate Growth on Conducting Substrates

Lead Zirconate Titanate, Pb[Zr_x Ti_1-x]O₃ (PZT), is a widely studied piezoelectric material with a wide array of applications ranging from medical instruments to capacitors. Adversely, this material contains lead which poses many consequential health concerns. ZnSnO₃, Zinc Stannate (ZTO), shows a deformed perovskite phase similar to that in Lithium Niobate, an alternative lead-free ferroelectric material with the general formula ANbO₃ making it a possible replacement for PZT due to its non-toxic composition. The goal of this project is to exploit the piezoelectric properties of ZTO and explore its potential for replacing PZT. To do this, a silica nanosphere monolayer, coated on top with aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanocolumns, is used as a growth template. ZTO was grown chemically from a low temperature solvo-thermal process and previous research discovered that it would grow into the desired LN-type phase of nanowires when the reaction was performed on highly conductive substrates. A reaction time study will determine the tunability of ZTO structure and nanowire aspect ratios as a function of time grown on indium tin oxide substrates. A structural study of ZTO films grown at different reaction times will be performed using XRD and SEM will be used to study the nanowire dimensions.