Metal Oxide Nanocrystals for UV Phototransistor: A Reduction Approach

Leveraging the exceptional optoelectronic properties of metal oxide nanocrystals (NCs), this study introduces a scalable technique of low-cost solution-processed reduction-based synthesis of ZnO and SnO2 nanocrystals through the reduction method at a low processing temperature, along with their detailed structural, morphological, and optical characterizations. Furthermore, these NCs have been utilized as a semiconductor channel with integration of a high-κ gate dielectric LiInSnO4 thin film to fabricate low-voltage operation thin-film transistors (TFTs). The achieved field-effect motilities of ZnO NC and SnO2 NC-based TFTs are 2.4 and 1.55 cm2.V–1.s–1, with their respective on/off ratios of ∼104 and 3 × 102, indicating their electronic grade applicability. Additionally, the devices exhibit pronounced ultraviolet (UV) photosensitivity, underscoring their potential as high-sensitivity UV photodetectors. Overall, the work demonstrates a facile, low-temperature synthesis strategy for metal oxide NCs, offering a scalable route toward next-generation optoelectronic platforms, including displays, integrated logic circuitry, advanced UV sensing architectures, and biointerfacing devices.