Correlation between optical,structural, and sensor properties of nanostructures of nickel oxide on aluminum oxide substrates

We have established a correlation between diffuse reflection of nickel oxide-based composites in the red region of the spectrum and the nanostructural properties of the roughness profile of the composite. We present calculations of the absorption spectra for samples of nanostructured nickel oxide of thickness 0.25–0.35 μm on aluminum oxide substrates from diffuse reflection and transmission of the layers by multiple scattering methods, taking into account the luminescence of the samples in the weak absorption region. Using a special optical system, we have determined the selective sensitivity to carbon monoxide exposure of a nanostructured nickel oxide composite at room temperature. The result is of fundamental importance for development of optical selective gas sensor technology in the visible region of the spectrum.     

Structural, optical and electrical properties of tin oxide thin film deposited by APCVD method

Tin oxide (SnO₂) thin films have been grown on glass substrates using atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) method. During the deposition, the substrate temperature was kept at 400°C–500°C. The structural properties, surface morphology and chemical composition of the deposited film were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Rutherford back scattering (RBS) spectrum. XRD pattern showed that the preferred orientation was (110) having tetragonal structure. The optical properties of the films were studied by measuring the transmittance, absorbance and reflectance spectra between λ = 254 nm to 1400 nm and the optical constants were calculated. Typical SnO₂ film transmits ∼ 94% of visible light. The electrical properties of the films were studied using four-probe method and Hall-voltage measurement experiment. The films showed room temperature conductivity in the range 1.08 × 10² to 1.69 × 10² Ω⁻¹cm⁻¹.     

Determination and analysis of the optical constants of thin films of nickel(II) and copper(II) hydrazone complexes by spectroscopic ellipsometry

Thin films of four nickel(II) and copper(II) hydrazone complexes, which will hopefully be used as recording layers for the next-generation of high-density recordable disks, were prepared by using the spin-coating method. Absorption spectra of the thin films on K9 optical glass substrates in the 300–700 nm wavelength region were measured. Optical constants (complex refractive indices N) and thickness d of the thin films prepared on single-crystal silicon substrates in the 275–675 nm wavelength region were investigated on a rotating analyzer-polarizer scanning ellipsometer by fitting the measured ellipsometric angles (Ψ(λ) and Δ(λ)) with a 3-layer model (Si/dye film/air). The dielectric functions ε and absorption coefficients α as a function of the wavelength were then calculated. Additionally, a design to achieve high reflectivity and optimum dye film thickness with an appropriate reflective layer was performed with the Film Wizard software using a multilayered model (PC substrate/reflective layer/dye film/air) at 405 nm wavelength. PACS 81.05.L; 78.20.Ci; 78.20.-e     

Optical characterization of thin thermal oxide films on copper by ellipsometry

A complete optical characterization in the visible region of thin copper oxide films has been performed by ellipsometry. Copper oxide films of various thicknesses were grown on thick copper films by low temperature thermal oxidation at 125 °C in air for different time intervals. The thickness and optical constants of the copper oxide films were determined in the visible region by ellipsometric measurements. It was found that a linear time law is valid for the oxide growth in air at 125 °C. The spectral behaviour of the optical constants and the value of the band gap in the oxide films determined by ellipsometry in this study are in agreement with the behaviour of those of Cu₂O, which have been obtained elsewhere through reflectance and transmittance methods. The band gap of copper oxide, determined from the spectral behaviour of the absorption coefficient was about 2 eV, which is the generally accepted value for Cu₂O. It was therefore concluded that the oxide composition of the surface film grown on copper is in the form of Cu₂O (cuprous oxide). It was also shown that the reflectance spectra of the copper oxide–copper structures exhibit behaviour expected from a single layer antireflection coating of Cu₂O on Cu. Received: 19 July 2001 / Accepted: 27 July 2001 / Published online: 17 October 2001     

Low temperature dependence of the penetration depth in YBCO thin films revisited by mm wave transmission and surface impedance measurements

We report results obtained with two different experimental set-ups in state-of-the-art YBCO thin films as similar as possible, prepared by pulsed laser deposition on LaAlO₃ substrates: a surface impedance measurement on 4000 ? thick films using a parallel plate resonator (10 GHz), and a far infrared transmission (100-400 GHz) measurement which requires thinner (1000 ?) samples. The former measurement yields the temperature variation of the penetration depth λ(T) and the real part of the conductivity, provided the absolute value of λ(T) is known. The latter yields the imaginary part of the conductivity, hence the absolute value of the penetration depth, as well as its temperature dependence at the measuring frequency. Combining these two experiments, we establish a quasi-linear temperature variation of λ(T), with a 2 ? K^-1 low temperature slope, and a fairly large zero temperature value λ(T = 0)=(1800±200) ? . The scattering rate of the quasi-particles calculated from a two-fluids model shows that the films compare to good quality single crystals, where twice a larger slope has been found. This surprising behavior is described in detail, including an in-depth structural analysis of the samples in order to evaluate their similarities. We find that the 10 GHz data obtained in the thickest films can be fitted to the dirty d-wave mode in the unitarity limit, with an extrapolated slope of 3 ? K^-1, but yield a scattering rate that is difficult to reconcile with the high T _c (92 K) of the films. Received 7 May 2001 and Received in final form 18 October 2001     

Optical and magneto-optical properties of Co–SiO<Subscript>x</Subscript> thin films

The optical and magneto-optical properties of hybrid Co–SiO_x systems are studied as a function of Co concentration. The structures were prepared by alternate depositions of SiO_x thin films and layers of 10-nm-diameter Co nanoparticles produced by an Ion Cluster Source. Both optical and magneto-optical constants of the system gradually increase with the amount of Co, though maintaining low optical absorption values in the visible range. The experimental results are well reproduced assuming that the nanoparticles have a cobalt core (7–8 nm in diameter) surrounded by a cobalt oxide shell (1–2 nm thick). The magneto-optical activity versus optical absorption figure of merit of this system is compared with other magneto-optical dielectric systems.     

Optical properties of grooved silicon microstructures: Theory and experiment

The reflection spectra of grooved silicon structures consisting of alternating silicon walls and grooves (air channels) with a period of a = 4–6 μm are studied experimentally and theoretically in the mid-IR spectral range (2–25 μm) upon irradiation of samples by normally incident light polarized along and perpendicular to silicon layers. The calculation is performed by the scattering matrix method taking into account Rayleigh scattering losses in a grooved layer by adding imaginary parts to the refractive indices of silicon and air in grooved regions. The experimental and calculated reflection spectra are in good agreement in the entire spectral range studied. The analysis of experimental and calculated spectra gave close values of the effective refractive indices and birefringence of the studied structures in the long-wavelength spectral region. The values calculated in the effective medium model in the long-wavelength approximation (λ ≫ a) gave considerably understated values. The obtained results confirm the efficiency of the scattering matrix method for describing the optical properties of silicon microstructures.     

Structural and optical properties of evaporated Zn oxide,Ti oxide and Zn-Ti oxide films

Zn oxide, Ti oxide and Zn-Ti oxide thin films were prepared by vacuum evaporation. Their structural and optical properties have been obtained by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method and spectrophotometry. The EDXRF method was used to study the stoichiometry of the deposited Zn-Ti oxide films. The XRD patterns show that the prepared ZnO and Zn-Ti oxide films were polycrystalline, while Ti oxide films were amorphous. Spectroscopic optical constants n() and k() as well as the energy gap E_g were evaluated from spectrophotometry in the interband transition energy region. It was discovered that ZnO–TiO thin films remain transparent in a shorter wavelength range than the ZnO thin films, resulting from the slight increase of their band gap. It was found that n, k and transmittance values for the mixed-oxide film vary smoothly between the values of the pure constituent oxides in the fundamental energy gap region. PACS 68.60.Wm; 68.55.-a; 78.66.-w     

Nickel oxide thin films synthesized by reactive pulsed laser deposition: characterization and application to hydrogen sensing

Transparent nickel oxide thin films were grown by reactive pulsed laser deposition. An ArF* (λ=193 nm, τ=12 ns) excimer laser source was used to ablate the Ni targets in a controlled pressure of ambient oxygen. The substrates were either kept at room temperature or heated to a selected temperature within the 200–400 °C range. Post-deposition heat treatment, which was applied to further promote crystallization and overcome any oxygen deficiency, yielded transparent thin films. The surface morphology and crystalline status of the synthesized thin structures were analyzed in correlation with their optical properties. A significant response to several concentrations of hydrogen was demonstrated when heating the nickel oxide films at 185 °C. PACS 78.66.Hf; 81.15.Fg; 82.47.Rs     

Structure and optical properties of carbon films obtained by multipulse pulsed laser deposition

We have obtained carbon thin films on silicon and glass substrates with multipulse pulsed laser irradiation of graphite under vacuum (p ≈ 2.6 Pa) using a high-frequency series of nanosecond laser pulses (τ = 85 ns, λ = 1060 nm) with pulse repetition frequency f ≈ 10–20 kHz and laser power density q ≈ 15–40 MW/cm². We established the optimal laser power density and laser pulse repetition frequency for obtaining amorphous nanostructured diamond-like films.     

Photoluminescence spectra of copper-based planar nanostructures

We have studied the luminescence of planar nanostructures based on amorphous copper, excited by a low-intensity source in the UV region of the spectrum. We have shown that it is dependent on the packing density of copper granules on the surface of the quartz substrate, the presence of chains of granules, the optical properties of the surrounding medium, and the oxidation time. The observed maxima at the wavelengths of 400 nm and 520 nm correspond to luminescence of the quartz and copper oxide Cu₂O. The maximum at 650 nm is located in the region of plasma resonances of the oxidized copper chains and aggregates, and is enhanced in the “hot spot” region near the surface of interacting copper particles. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 4, pp. 510–515, July–August, 2006.     

Optical properties of planar structures containing oxidized copper nanoparticles

Planar structures consisting of oxidized copper granules obtained by laser electrodispersion are studied. The samples have different packing densities of granules and different amounts of their chains and aggregates. Each granule 5.5 ± 0.5 nm in size consists of a copper core with an amorphous structure and an oxide shell of about 0.7 nm thick. Some granules are randomly charged. The spectra of coherent transmission, diffusion transmission, and reflection of the samples are measured. Using the experimental data, the absorption spectra and the effective absorption, extinction, and scattering coefficients of monolayers are calculated and the luminescence spectra are estimated. A long-wavelength shift of the plasmon resonance of the copper granules with oxide shells as compared to that of the unoxidized granules is observed. The shift depends on the thickness of the oxide layer. A similar shift of the plasmon resonance is observed for the chains of copper granules. The spectra are compared with the spectra calculated theoretically taking into account some parameters of the planar structures and the size dependence of the optical constants of copper. The luminescence observed in some cases is associated with specifics of oxidation of copper granules.     

The influence of structural disorder on the phonon modes in zinc oxide

Undoped zinc oxide thin films and nanostructured layers were grown by pulsed laser deposition on different substrates. They were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman backscattering spectroscopy. Larger substrate mismatch leads to higher structural disorder in the thin films. Simultaneously, the intensity of the phonon mode at 580 cm⁻¹ increases. However, for the nanostructured layers it remains constant. These observations are discussed in terms of the disorder activation of forbidden Raman modes.     

Optimization of F-doped SnO2 electrodes for organic photovoltaic devices

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films have been investigated as an alternative to indium tin oxide anodes in organic photovoltaic devices. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the FTO films grown by pulsed laser deposition were studied as a function of oxygen deposition pressure. For 400 nm thick FTO films deposited at 300°C and 6.7 Pa of oxygen, an electrical resistivity of 5×10⁻⁴ Ω-cm, sheet resistance of 12.5 Ω/□, average transmittance of 87% in the visible range, and optical band gap of 4.25 eV were obtained. Organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene)/[6,6]-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester bulk heterojunctions were prepared on FTO/glass electrodes and the device performance was investigated as a function of FTO film thickness. OPV cells fabricated on the optimum FTO anodes (∼300–600 nm thick) exhibited power conversion efficiencies of ∼3%, which is comparable to the same device made on commercial ITO/glass electrodes (3.4%).     

Application of spectroscopic ellipsometry to the investigation of the optical properties of cobalt-nanostructured silica thin layers

Spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to investigate optical properties of cobalt-implanted silica thin films. The films under investigation are 250 nm thick thermal SiO₂ layers on Si substrates implanted with Co⁺ ions at energy of 160 keV and at fluences of 10¹⁷ ions/cm² for different temperatures of substrate during implantation (77 and 295 K). Changes due to Co⁺ implantation are clearly observed in the optical response of the films. Optical behaviours are furthermore different for the three implantation temperatures. To understand the optical responses of these layers, the ellipsometric experimental data are compared to different models including interference effects and metal inclusions effects into the dielectric layer. The simulated ellipsometric data are obtained by calculating the interferences of an inhomogeneous layer on a Si substrate. The material within this layer is considered as an effective medium which dielectric function is calculated using the Maxwell-Garnett effective medium approximation. We show that although the structures of these layers are very complicated because of ion-implantation mechanisms, quite simple models can provide relatively good agreement. The possibilities of ellipsometry for the study of the optical properties of such clusters-embedded films are discussed. We especially provide the evidence that ellipsometry can give interesting information about the optical properties of nanostructured layers. This is of special interest in the field of nanostructured layered systems where ellipsometry appears to be a suitable optical characterization technique.     

Surface ordering near the smectic-A-smectic-C transition in thin, free-standing, liquid-crystal films

Optical reflectivity measurements have been conducted near the smectic-A-smectic-C phase transition in free-standing films with thickness between two and eleven molecular layers. The temperature dependence of the reflectivity in thin film differs significantly from that in thick films. The optical thickness per layer increases in films with two to five layers as a result of cooling, in contrast with thick films. The average layer spacing was found to decrease with decreasing film thickness. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 949–953 (March 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.     

Measurement of optical constants of thin polymer films using spectrally resolved white light interferometry

Using the spectrally resolved white light interferometry we present our experimental results on the measurement of the optical constants of thin polymer films coated on a transparent substrate. As an extension to our previous work (J. Opt. Soc. Am. B12, 1559 (1995)) on thick glass plates, we have shown here that this technique can be effectively applied to very thin polymer films also. We have improved the accuracy of our results by using the Sellmeier dispersion formula for fitting the data. From the width and position of the zero-order fringe and the frequency of modulations in the white light spectrum, the refractive indexn(λ) and thicknesst of the thin polymer films are calculated. To study the accuracies involved in the technique, PVA, PMMA and PS films of varied thicknesses are coated on glass plates and the measured values are compared with ellipsometer studies.     

Fermi energy and optical conductivity of metal quantum wires

The size dependence of the Fermi energy of conduction electrons has been analytically evaluated and its oscillations have been calculated in the framework of the cylindrical well model. The conductivity tensor components for a metal wire with the radius ρ₀ have been calculated with the use of the expansion in powers of ρ₀/λ, where λ is the wavelength of incident light. The influence of the dimension of the systems has been established by comparing the results of the calculations of the optical conductivity of thin wires and films for Au, Al, and Pb metals. According to the results of the calculations, the real and imaginary parts of the conductivity depend substantially on the size and frequency. The difference between the results obtained for Pb and Au metals has been explained by the different relaxation times of electrons in nanowires that are homogeneous in the thickness.     

Studies on electrosynthesized semiconducting zinc selenide thin films

The electrosynthesis of ZnSe thin films from aqueous acidic bath onto transparent conducting oxide coated glass substrates is described. The deposition potential range suitable for the deposition has been optimized using cyclic voltammetry. The influence of various deposition parameters on the structural and optical properties of the films is described. The optical constants ‘n’ and ‘k’ and the complex dielectric constants of the electrosynthesized ZnSe thin films are estimated for various wave length region. The surface morphological studies and the composition analysis are carried out and the results are discussed. Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Ionic Devices, Anna University, Chennai, India, Nov. 28–30, 2003.     

Effect of nano-metric changes on morphology and optical constants of TiO2 thin films

Titanium dioxide films of different thicknesses, ranging from 10 to 110 nm were deposited on glass substrate, at room temperature by physical vapor deposition method. Topography, roughness and crystallography of produced layers were determined by AFM and XRD methods respectively. Optical properties were measured by transmission spectroscopy in the spectral range of 300–1100 nm wave length range. The optical constants were obtained using Kramers-Kronig analysis of the reflectivity curves. It was found that film thickness plays an important role on the nanostructures as well as optical properties of layers and cause significant variations in behavior of thin titanium oxide films.