Optical Properties of Nanocrystalline/Amorphous TiO2 Thin Film Deposited by rf Plasma Magnetron Sputtering

A.A. Abd El-Moulaa, b, M. Raaifb, c, F.M. El-Hossaryb aPhysics Department, College of Science, Jouf University, P.O. Box 2014, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia bPhysics Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt cPhysics Department, Faculty of Science and Arts, Al-Mandaq, Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia

Received: October 13, 2019; in final form March 30, 2020

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This work is a part of serious experimental efforts established on constructing multilayers based on TiO2 for industrial use in optical devices. Recognizing the structure and optical features of TiO2 single layer is very significant in designing optical devices and in constructing multilayers based on TiO2 layer for probable industrial requests. In this regard, rf plasma magnetron sputtering was employed to prepare TiO2 thin film on glass substrates. The effect of oxygen ratios % with respect to argon on the optical characteristics of TiO2 thin film was studied. Structural studies revealed the transition from crystallization to amorphous nature of TiO2 films with increasing the oxygen ratios. All TiO2 thin films were transparent in the visible zone and the transmittance of TiO2 films increased with increasing the O2 ratios. The estimated energy gap of TiO2 thin films increased from 3.62 eV to 3.77 eV with increasing the oxygen ratios. However, the refractive index decreased with increasing the oxygen ratios. Moreover, diverged optical constants like optical conductivity (σopt), dielectric constants (εi and εr), the Urbach energy (Eu), the dispersion energy (Ed) and single oscillator energy (Eo) have been explored and discussed.

DOI:10.12693/APhysPolA.137.1068 topics: TiO2 thin films, rf magnetron sputtering, optical properties, optical band gap\\vs*{10pt}