Nanocrystalline ZnSnN(2) Prepared by Reactive Sputtering, Its Schottky Diodes and Heterojunction Solar Cells

ZnSnN(2) has potential applications in photocatalysis and photovoltaics. However, the difficulty in preparing nondegenerate ZnSnN(2) hinders its device application. Here, the preparation of low-electron-density nanocrystalline ZnSnN(2) and its device application are demonstrated. Nanocrystalline ZnSnN(2) was prepared with reactive sputtering. Nanocrystalline ZnSnN(2) with an electron density of approximately 10(17) cm(−3) can be obtained after annealing at 300 °C. Nanocrystalline ZnSnN(2) is found to form Schottky contact with Ag. Both the current I vs. voltage V curves and the capacitance C vs. voltage V curves of these samples follow the related theories of crystalline semiconductors due to the limited long-range order provided by the crystallites with sizes of 2–10 nm. The I−V curves together with the nonlinear C(−2)−V curves imply that there are interface states at the Ag-nanocrystalline ZnSnN(2) interface. The application of nanocrystalline ZnSnN(2) to heterojunction solar cells is also demonstrated.