Preparation and characterisation of Ag incorporated Al2O3 nanocomposite films obtained by sol‐gel method

Sol‐gel route has been applied for a deposition of the thin films of aluminum oxide and Ag embedded in Al₂O₃ films. The films are spin‐coated on Si and quartz substrates with the film thickness of 120 nm. XRD analysis has been used for the determination of the film structure. FTIR spectroscopy is applied for studying vibrational properties of the obtained coatings. Optical characterization is done by UV‐VIS spectroscopy. The formation of Ag nanoparticles has been confirmed by XRD and optical data. The sol‐gel process is found to be useful technology for incorporation of Ag nanoparticles in the metal oxide matrices. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)