Effect of preparation conditions on the optical and physical properties of an epoxy-functional inorganic-organic hybrid material system

A hybrid material system consisting of (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane and zirconium(IV) n-propoxide was prepared. The influence of processing parameters including Zr content, UV irradiation and sol ageing on the properties of the resultant thin films was discussed. Refractive index, at 633 nm, and reflectance measurements were performed and near-field waveguide images of the samples were taken. Optical propagation loss measurements, at 633 nm, were studied. Film thickness and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy images were obtained as a function of process conditions. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to monitor chemical reaction pathways in the system during processing. It was demonstrated that the crosslinking of epoxy groups in the structure, along with inorganic network formation as a result of sol-gel reactions, was the primary reason for the changes in the optical and physical properties of the system. As Zr containing species and/or UV irradiation may be employed to crosslink the epoxy groups in the structure, the optical and physical properties of the system can be tuned by optimal combination of these two crosslinking methods, as well as sol ageing process.