Structural and optical investigations of TiO2 films deposited on transparent substrates by sol-gel technique

An inexpensive and effective simple method for the preparation of nano-crystalline titanium oxide (anatase) thin films at room temperature on different transparent substrates is presented. This method is based on the use of peroxo-titanium complex, i.e. titanium isopropoxide as a single initiating organic precursor. Post-annealing treatment is necessary to convert the deposited amorphous film into titanium oxide (TiO2) crystalline (anatase) phase. These films have been characterized for X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, atomic force microscopic (AFM) studies and optical measurements. The optical constants such as refractive index and extinction coefficient have been estimated by using envelope technique. Also, the energy gap values have been estimated using Tauc's formula for on glass and quartz substrates are found to be 3.35 eV and 3.39 eV, respectively.

Some studies on TiO2 films deposited by sol-gel technique

TiO2 films are extensively used in various applications including optical multi-layers, sensors, photo catalysis, environmental purification, and solar cells etc. These are prepared by both vacuum and non-vacuum methods. In this paper, we present the results on TiO2 thin films prepared by a sol-gel spin coating process in non-aqueous solvent. Titanium isopropoxide is used as TiO2 precursor. The films were annealed at different temperatures up to 3000 C for 5 hours in air. The influence of the various deposition parameters like spinning speed, spinning time and annealing temperature on the thickness of the TiO2 films has been studied. The variation of film thickness with time in ambient atmosphere was also studied. The optical, structural and morphological characteristics were investigated by optical transmittance-reflectance measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively. The refractive index and extinction coefficient of the films were determined by envelope technique and spectroscopic ellipsometry. TiO2 films exhibited high transparency (92%) in the visible region with a refractive index of 2.04 at 650 nm. The extinction coefficient was found to be negligibly small. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the TiO2 film deposited on glass substrate changes from amorphous to crystalline (anatase) phase with annealing temperature above 2500 C. SEM results show that the deposited films are uniform and crack free.

Structural and optical investigations of TiO2 films deposited on transparent substrates by sol-gel technique

An inexpensive and effective simple method for the preparation of nano-crystalline titanium oxide (anatase) thin films at room temperature on different transparent substrates is presented. This method is based on the use of peroxo-titanium complex, i.e. titanium isopropoxide as a single initiating organic precursor. Post-annealing treatment is necessary to convert the deposited amorphous film into titanium oxide (TiO2) crystalline (anatase) phase. These films have been characterized for X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, atomic force microscopic (AFM) studies and optical measurements. The optical constants such as refractive index and extinction coefficient have been estimated by using envelope technique. Also, the energy gap values have been estimated using Tauc's formula for on glass and quartz substrates are found to be 3.35 eV and 3.39 eV, respectively. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hybrid Sol-Gel Combustion Synthesis of Nanoporous Anatase

Nanoporous anatase with a thin interconnected filmlike morphology has been synthesized in a single step by coupling a nonhydrolytic condensation reaction of a Ti precursor with a hybrid sol-gel combustion reaction. The method combines the advantages of a conventional sol-gel method for the formation of porous structures with the high crystallinity of the products obtained by combustion methods to yield highly crystalline, phase-pure nanoporous anatase. The generation of pores is initiated by the formation of reverse micelles in a polymeric polycondensation product, which expand during heating, leading to larger pores. A reaction scheme involving a complex formation and nonhydrolytic polycondensation reaction with ester elimination leads to the formation of ail extended Ti-O-Ti network. The effect of process parameters, such as temperature and relative ratio of cosurfactants, on phase formation has been studied. The possibility of band gap engineering by controlled doping during synthesis and the possibility of attachment of molecular/nanoparticle sensitizers provide opportunities for easy preparation of photoanodes for solar cell applications.

Effect of sintering on optical, structural and photoluminescence properties of ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel process

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been deposited on glass substrates via sol-gel technique using zinc acetate dihydrate as precursor by spin coating of the sol at 2000 rpm. Effects of annealing temperature on optical, structural and photo luminescence properties of the deposited ZnO films have been investigated. The phase transition from amorphous to polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure was observed at an annealing temperature of 400 degrees C. An average transmittance of 87% in the visible region has been obtained at room temperature. The optical transmittance has slightly increased with increase of annealing temperature. The band gap energy was estimated by Tauc's method and found to be 3.22 eV at room temperature. The optical band gap energy has decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity increased with annealing temperature up to 200 degrees C and decreased at 300 degrees C. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic and electrical properties of SiO2 films prepared by simple and cost effective sol-gel process

Amorphous SiO2 thin films were prepared on glass and silicon substrates by cost effective sol-gel method. Tetra ethyl ortho silicate (TEOS) was used as the precursor material, ethanol as solvent and concentrated HCl as a catalyst. The films were characterized at different annealing temperatures. The optical transmittance was slightly increased with increase of annealing temperature. The refractive index was found to be 1.484 at 550 nm. The formation of SiO2 film was analyzed from FT-IR spectra. The MOS capacitors were designed using silicon (1 0 0) substrates. The current-voltage (I-V), capacitance-voltage (C-V) and dissipation-voltage (D-V) measurements were taken for all the annealed films deposited on Si (1 0 0). The variation of current density, resistivity and dielectric constant of SiO2 films with different annealing temperatures was investigated and discussed for its usage in applications like MOS capacitor. The results revealed the decrease of dielectric constant and increase of resistivity of SiO2 films with increasing annealing temperature. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical, electrical and dielectric properties of TiO(2)-SiO(2) films prepared by a cost effective sol-gel process

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) and silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) thin films and their mixed films were synthesized by the sol-gel spin coating method using titanium tetra isopropoxide (TTIP) and tetra ethyl ortho silicate (TEOS) as the precursor materials for TiO(2) and SiO(2) respectively. The pure and composite films of TiO(2) and SiO(2) were deposited on glass and silicon substrates. The optical properties were studied for different compositions of TiO(2) and SiO(2) sols and the refractive index and optical band gap energies were estimated. MOS capacitors were fabricated using TiO(2) films on p-silicon (1 0 0) substrates. The current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics were studied and the electrical resistivity and dielectric constant were estimated for the films annealed at 200 degrees C for their possible use in optoelectronic applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of Sn doping on structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films prepared by cost effective sol-gel process

Tin (Sn) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were synthesized by sol-gel spin coating method using zinc acetate di-hydrate and tin chloride di-hydrate as the precursor materials. The films were deposited on glass and silicon substrates and annealed at different temperatures in air ambient. The agglomeration of grains was observed by the addition of Sn in ZnO film with an average grain size of 60 nm. The optical properties of the films were studied using UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer. The optical band gap energies were estimated at different concentrations of Sn. The MOS capacitors were fabricated using Sn doped ZnO films. The capacitance-voltage (C-V), dissipation vs. voltage (D-V) and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics were studied and the electrical resistivity and dielectric constant were estimated. The porosity and surface area of the films were increased with the doping of Sn which makes these films suitable for opto-electronic applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical and Morphological Properties of Sol Gel derived Titanium dioxide Films

Titanium oxide (Titania) thin films were synthesized on different substrates via the sol-gel dip-coating method using alkoxide solution. Some selected samples were also prepared with different percentage of Lead (Pb). The influence of Pb addition in precursor sol on the optical properties of titanium dioxide thin films was studied. The optical transmittance in the visible region has increased with increase in weight percentage of lead. The refractive index was slightly decreased with Pb addition. Crystallization of these coatings was achieved through thermal annealing at temperatures above 400 degrees C. The structural properties and surface morphology of the crystallized coatings were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Increase in average grain size from 250 nm to 350 nm with increase in Pb concentration is observed. Films were appeared to more coarse with increase in Pb addition. An increase in Pb addition resulted increase in average roughness from 12 nm to 25 nm.

Structural and lithium ion transport studies in sol-gel-prepared lithium silicophosphate glasses

Lithium silicophosphate glasses have been prepared by a sol-gel route over a wide range of compositions. Their structural and electrical properties have been investigated. Infrared spectroscopic studies show the presence of hydroxyl groups attached to Si and P. MAS NMR investigations provide evidence for the presence of different phosphatic units in the structure. The variations of de conductivities at 423 K and activation energies have been studied as a function of composition, and both exhibit an increasing trend with the ratio of nonbridging oxygen to bridging oxygen in the structure. Ac conductivity behavior shows that the power law exponent, s, is temperature dependent and exhibits a minimum. Relaxation behavior has been examined in detail using an electrical modulus formalism, and modulus data were fitted to Kohlraush-William-Watts stretched exponential function. A structural model has been proposed and the unusual properties exhibited by this unique system of glasses have been rationalized using this model. Ion transport in these glasses appears to be confined to unidimensional conduits defined by modified phosphate chains and interspersed with unmodified silica units.

Assembly of sol-gel-grown $Li _{(x)} CoO_{2}$ nanocrystals through electromagnetic irradiation

We report the fabrication of assembled nanostructures from the pre-synthesized nanocrystals building blocks through optical means of exciton formation and dissociation. We demonstrate that Li (x) CoO2 nanocrystals assemble to an acicular architecture, upon prolonged exposure to ultraviolet-visible radiation emitted from a 125 W mercury vapor lamp, through intermediate excitation of excitons. The results obtained in the present study clearly show how nanocrystals of various materials with band gaps appropriate for excitations of excitons at given optical wavelengths can be assembled to unusual nanoarchitectures through illumination with incoherent light sources. The disappearance of exciton bands due to Li (x) CoO2 phase in the optical spectrum of the irradiated film comprising acicular structure is consistent with the proposed mechanism of exciton dissociation in the observed light-induced assembly process. The assembly process occurs through attractive Coulomb interactions between charged dots created upon exciton dissociation. Our work presents a new type of nanocrystal assembly process that is driven by light and exciton directed.

Sol → gel transition with rings in a finite polycondensing system in solution

We report a theoretical formulation for the mean cluster size distribution in a finite polycondensing system. Expressions for the mean number of n-mers with j bonds ( nj) are developed. Numerical calculations show that while the non-cyclic molecules make the dominant contribution to the small clusters, the large clusters are dominated by cyclic structures. The number of particles in ringless chains, n n,n-1, decays monotonically with n at all extents of reaction, but n n becomes bimodal near the gel point. We also find that the solvent plays an important role in the cluster size distribution.

Optical, dielectric and morphological studies of sol-gel derived nanocrystalline TiO2 films

Nanocrystalline TiO2 films have been synthesized on glass and silicon substrates by sol-gel technique. The films have been characterized with optical reflectance/transmittance in the wavelength range 300-1000nm and the optical constants (n, k) were estimated by using envelope technique as well as spectroscopic ellipsometry. Morphological studies have been carried Out using atomic force microscope (AFM). Metal-Oxide-Silicon (MOS) capacitor was fabricated using conducting coating on TiO2 film deposited on silicon. The C-V measurements show that the film annealed at 300 degrees C has a dielectric constant of 19.80. The high percentage of transmittance, low surface roughness and high dielectric constant suggests that it can be used as an efficient anti-reflection coating on silicon and other optical coating applications and also as a MOS capacitor.

Sol-Gel Template Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Growth Mechanism of Barium Zirconate Nanotubes

In this paper, we report the synthesis of barium zirconate, BaZrO3, (BZ) nanotubes fabricated by the modified sol-gel method within the nanochannels of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The morphology, structure, and composition of as prepared nanotubes were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction ( SAED), high resolution TEM (HRTEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results of XRD and SAED indicated that postannealed (at 650 degrees C for 1 h) BZ nanotubes (BZNTs) exhibited a polycrystalline cubic perovskite crystal structure. SEM and TEM analysis revealed that BZNTs possessed a uniform length and diameter (similar to 200 nm) and the thickness of the wall of the BZNTs was about 20 nm. Y-junctions, multiple branching and typical T-junctions were also observed in some BZNTs. EDX analysis demonstrated that stoichiometric BaZrO3 was formed. HRTEM image confirmed that the obtained BZNTs were composed of nanoparticles in the range of 5-10 nm. The possible formation mechanism of BZNTs was discussed.

Fabrication and Phase Transformation in Crystalline Nanoparticles of PbZrO3 Derived By Sol-Gel

In this research fabrication of crystalline PbZrO3 (PZ) nanoparticles and their phase transformation behavior is investigated. A novel sol-gel method was used for the synthesis of air-stable and precipitate-free diol-based sol of PZ, which was dried at 150 degrees C and then calcined at 300-700 degrees C for 1 h. The morphology, crystallinity and phase formation of as synthesized nanoparticles were studied by the selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The XRD, SAED, and TGA-DSC analyses confirmed the tetragonal lead rich zirconia phase (t-Z phase) and monoclinic zirconia phase (m-Z phase) as the intermediate phases during the calcinations process followed by crystallization of single orthorhombic PZ phase at about 700 degrees C. The average PZ particle size was observed about 20 nm as confirmed by TEM study. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis demonstrated that stoichiometric PbZrO3 was formed.