Role of the conducting layer substrate on TiO2 nucleation when using microwave activated chemical bath deposition

I. Zumeta, R. Espinosa, J. A. Ayllón, E. Vigil

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nanostructured TiO2 is used in novel dye sensitized solar cells. Because of their interaction with light, thin TiO2 films are also used as coatings for self-cleaning glasses and tiles. Microwave activated chemical bath deposition represents a simple and cost-effective way to obtain nanostructured TiO2 films. It is important to study, in this technique, the role of the conducting layer used as the substrate. The influence of microwave-substrate interactions on TiO2 deposition is analysed using different substrate positions, employing substrates with different conductivities, and also using different microwave radiation powers for film deposition. We prove that a common domestic microwave oven with a large cavity and inhomogeneous radiation field can be used with equally satisfactory results. The transmittance spectra of the obtained films were studied and used to analyse film thickness and to obtain gap energy values. The results, regarding different indium-tin oxide resistivities and different substrate positions in the oven cavity, show that the interaction of the microwave field with the conducting layer is determinant in layer deposition. It has also been found that film thickness increases with the power of the applied radiation while the gap energies of the TiO2 films decrease approaching the 3.2 eV value reported for bulk anatase. This indicates that these films are not crystalline and it agrees with x-ray spectra that do not reveal any peak.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1218-1222
JournalSemiconductor Science and Technology
Volume17
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2002

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