Micro-strain, dislocation density and surface chemical state analysis of multication thin films

Multication complex metal oxide thin films are rapidly expanding the class of materials with many technologically important applications. Herein this work, the surface of the pulsed laser deposited thin films of Zn2SnO4 and multinary compounds obtained by substitution/co-substitution of Sn4+ with In3+ and Ga3+ are studied by X-ray photoelectron emission spectroscopy (X-PES) method. Peaks corresponding to the elements of Zn, Sn, Ga, In and O on the film surface has been identified and contribution of the elements has been studied by the computer aided surface analysis (CASA) software. Binding energies, full-width at half maximum (FWHM), spin-orbit splitting energies, asymmetric peak-shape fitting parameters and quantification of elements in the films are discussed. Studies of structural properties of the films by x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique showed inverse spinel type lattice with preferential orientation. Micro-strain, dislocation density and crystallite sizes in the film surface have been estimated.