Effect of tin doping on thin SrCo2O4 layers properties prepared by Sol-gel Dip-coating technique

Tin doped SrCo2O4 thin films at 0%, 3% and 5% on "pyrex" glass substrates have been prepared by Sol-gel Dip-coating method. In both cases cobalt nitrate, strontium nitrate and tin chloride were used as cobalt and strontium precursor and tin dopant source, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the SrCo2O4 spinel crystal structure (311) as the preferential orientation with crystallite sizes ranging from 23.58 to 25.44 nm. Analysis of optical transmission spectra as a function of wavelength shows that transmission of the doped films is found to be superior to the undoped film and the band gaps (Eg) decreased from 1.48 to 1.43 eV by Sn dopants. Complex impedance spectroscopy indicates that the grain boundary effect is dominant in the mechanism of conduction. The resistance at the room temperature varied from 47.75 Ω to 41.87 Ω for variation of Sn concentration.