Synthesis, Characterization and Ferroelectric Properties of LN-Type ZnSnO3 Nanostructures

With increasing focus on the ill health and environmental effects of lead there is a greater push to develop Pb-free devices and materials. To this extent, ecofriendly and earth abundant LiNbO3-type ZnSnO3, a derivative of the ABO3 perovskite structure, has a high theoretically predicted polarization making it an excellent choice as a suitable alternative to lead based material such as PZT. In this work we present a novel synthesis procedure for the growth of various ZnSnO3 nanostructures by combined physical/chemical processes. Various ZnSnO3 nanostructures of different dimensions were grown from a ZnO:Al template layer on a Si (100) substrate deposited by pulsed laser deposition followed by a strategic solvothermal process. The ferroelectric properties of each sample were explored and a remanent polarization as high as nearly 30 muC/cm2 was found in aligned nanowire arrayed films. An in-depth understanding of the structure-property relationship is key to the future development of this material and is the subject of future investigations.