Hydrogen in tin (di)oxide

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Eduard Lavrov
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 467412802

Tin dioxide (SnO2) is an important semiconductor widely employed in transparent conductor electronics, solar cells, gas sensors, touchscreens, catalysis, and spintronics. SnO2 reveals only n-type conductivity what seriously limits the amount of possible application. Tin oxide (SnO), on the other hand, only recently received a great deal of attention since the discovery of ambipolar doping. Hydrogen in metal oxides including both SnO2 and SnO is ubiquitous and very difficult to remove from the crystal growth environment and post-growth treatment. Controlling the conductivity of tin (di)oxide thus requires careful control of hydrogen exposure during and after growth. At present understanding of hydrogen properties in both SnO2 and especially SnO at the microscopic level is very limited. The proposed project aims at bridging this gap. Spectroscopic methods will be employed to get insight into the structural and electrical properties of hydrogen with an emphasis on interstitial species, hydrogen trapped at the oxygen vacancy, hydrogen molecule, and hydrogen-acceptor complexes such as the Sn vacancy passivated by hydrogen.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants