Room-temperature synthesis of earth-abundant semiconductor ZnSiN₂ on amorphous carbon

This manuscript reports room-temperature one-step synthesis of earth-abundant semiconductor ZnSiN₂ on amorphous carbon substrates using radio frequency reactive magnetron co-sputtering. Transmission Electron Microscopy and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry analysis demonstrated that the synthesis has occurred as ZnSiN₂ nanocrystals in the orthorhombic phase, uniformly distributed on amorphous carbon. The technique of large-area deposition on an amorphous substrate can be interesting for flexible electronics technologies. Our results open possibilities for environmentally friendly semiconductor devices, leading to the development of greener technologies.