Structural modification and electrical property modulation of SnO driven by e-beam irradiation and thermal treatment

Abstract

The effects of electron irradiation and thermal treatment on the structural and electrical properties of tin (II) oxide (SnO) synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method are investigated. X-ray diffraction and Raman analyses show that irradiation enhances crystallinity and promotes preferred grain orientation. Irradiation increases the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor A and the activation energy Ea, consistent with the formation of donor-like defects. Thermal annealing also increases A but lowers Ea, indicating fewer trap states. When combined, the treatments act synergistically, further improving the electrical response. These results show that structural and defect engineering via irradiation and thermal annealing offer an effective route to optimize SnO-based CO gas sensors.