Synthesis and characterization of MgSnO prepared via a ball milling process

• Nanocrystalline powders of MTO were prepared by high-energy ball milling.
• Average crystallite size reduction and lattice strain increasing as the milling time increased.
• Formation of Mg2SnO4 was realized after calcinations of the as-milled powders over 1000 °C.
• The MTO films exhibited a much higher transmittance of ~92% in the visible region than those without ball milling.
• The novel MTO TFT working in electron-accumulation mode can perform n-channel operation and the small sub-threshold voltage swing value of the device is 0.29 V/decade.

Nanocrystalline powders of MgO–SnO2 (MgSnO) were experimentally obtained via a high-energy ball milling process with various operating time and annealing temperatures. The average crystallite size and lattice strain of the MgSnO powder decreased and increased, respectively, with increasing milling time. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the Mg2SnO4 phase formed after calcinations of the as-milled MgSnO powder at temperatures higher than 1000 °C. The film annealed at 500 °C exhibited a much higher transmittance (~92%) in the visible region than that of a previously reported, non-ball-milled Mg-doped SnO2. The surface morphology of MTO films is dependent on the annealing temperature. The fabricated MgSnO TFT operating in electron-accumulation mode can perform n-channel operations. In addition, the sub-threshold voltage swing value of the device is 0.29 V/decade.