Tin oxide is an n type semiconductor material with a high covalent behavior. Mass transport in this oxide depends on the surface state promoted by atmosphere or by the solid solution of aliovalent oxide doping. The sintering and grain grow of this type of oxide powder is then controlled by atmosphere and by extrinsic oxygen vacancy formation. For pure SnO2 powder the surface state depends only in the interaction of atmosphere molecules with the SnO2 surface. Inert atmosphere like argon promotes oxygen vacancy formation at the surface due to the reduction of SnO 2 to SnO at surface and liberation of oxygen molecules forming an oxygen vacancy. As a consequence, surface diffusion is enhanced leading to grain coarsening, but no densification. Oxygen atmosphere inhibits the SnO2 reduction decreasing the surface oxygen vacancy concentration. Additions of dopants with lower valence at sintering temperature create extrinsic charged oxygen vacancies that promote mass transport at grain boundary leading to densification and grain growth of this polycrystalline oxide. Cobalt and niobium doped SnO2 ceramics exhibit varistor behavior, which can be applied in electronics. Moreover, SnO2 ceramics are chemically inert and can be applied in form of crucibles to melt some optical glasses.
Tin oxide; sintering; varistor; inert crucibles
