Improvement in the long-term stability of SnO ₂ nanoparticle surface modification with additives

In this research, the long-term stability of a nanocrystalline SnO ₂ semiconductor was successfully enhanced by controlling its resistance. For precise control of the resistance, low-temperature doping was applied below 300°C to dope a Pt additive onto a nanocrystalline SnO ₂ particle to suppress particle growth. Also, a semiconductor thick film was fabricated using the nanocrystalline SnO ₂ particles having sizes smaller than 5 nm, which led to enhanced long-term stability of the electrical properties with respect to the hydrocarbon molecule. That is, good and stable electrical properties (R/R ₀ of 0.60) were achieved after aging for more than 1000 hours at 400°C by doping a 7 wt% Pt additive onto the semiconductor. Finally, with the Pt-doped SnO ₂, high-quality ITO nanoparticles could be synthesized.