In this work, a reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique was used to prepare TiO2 thin films. The variation in argon and oxygen gases mixing ratios (4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:4) was used to achieve optimal properties for gas sensing. In addition, an analysis of the optical XRD properties of TiO2 thin films is presented. High-quality and uniform nanocrystalline films were obtained at a working gas pressure of 0.25 mbar and 1:4 (Ar/O2) gas mixture. The optical properties showed a transparent thin film with uniform adherence to the substrate. The average transmission of the TiO2 films deposited on the glass substrates was higher than 95% over the range of 400 to 800 nm. The optical band gap varied from 3.84 eV to 3.93 eV as a function of oxygen/argon ratios. The XRD pattern showed that the films have an amorphous structure, which is shifted to polycrystalline with increasing oxygen to argon ratio. The sensitivity, response time, and recovery time were measured for TiO2 thin films using NO2 oxidizing gas.
This study focuses on synthesizing Niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) thin films on silicon wafers and quartz substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering for NO2 gas sensors. The films undergo annealing in ambient air at 800 °C for 1 hr. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Hall effect measurements, and sensitivity measurements, are employed to evaluate the structural, morphological, electrical, and sensing properties of the Nb2O5 thin films. XRD analysis confirms the polycrystalline nature and hexagonal crystal structure of Nb2O5. The optical band gap val
... Show MoreMixed phase rutile/anatase of TiO2 was prepared and studied by a closed field DC magnetron sputtering configuration (CFDCMS). It was found that the contents of rutile increased from the ratio of 38% to 53% as the deposition time increased from 3.5 hours to 4.5 hours.
The photocatalytic activity of the mixed phase rutile/anatase TiO2 was measured by monitoring the degradation of the blue methylene dye in an aqueous solution, under exposure to UV-radiation, using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. It was proven that the photocatalytic activity in the mixed phase (TiO2) is a function of rutile content reaching a maximum value at 53% rutile. Thus, the effect of synergy between anatase- TiO2 and rutile- TiO2 was observed. It was observed that
TiO2 thin films were deposited by Spray Pyrolysis with thickness ((350±25) nm) onto glass substrates at (350°C), and the film was annealed at temperatures (400 and 500)°C. The structural and morphological properties of the thin films (TiO2) were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope. The gas sensor fabricated by evaporating aluminum electrodes using the annealed TiO2 thin films as an active material. The sensitivity of the sensors was determined by change the electrical resistance towards NO2 at different working temperatures (200
In this paper, the effect of films thickness on the structural and optical properties of gold (Au) thin films prepared by the DC sputtering method was studied. At three different deposition times, three samples of gold thin films of three different thicknesses (200,400, and 600 nm) were prepared. X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images, as well as optical spectroscopy, were used to characterize thin films. The crystalline structure of gold thin films was determined by the XRD pattern which showed to be cubic phase and polycrystalline in nature. The preferred orientation was (111) at 2Ѳ equal 37.4. The effect of deposition time on the morphology of the deposited films was v
... Show MoreThe influence of the reaction gas composition during the DC magnetron sputtering process on the structural, chemical and optical properties of Ce-oxide thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed that all thin films exhibited a polycrystalline character with cubic fluorite structure for cerium dioxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that cerium is present in two oxidation states, namely as CeO2 and Ce2O3, at the surface of the films prepared at oxygen/argon flow ratios between 0% and 7%, whereas the films are completely oxidized into CeO2 as the aforementioned ratio increases beyond 14%. Various optical parameters for the thin films (including an optical band gap in the range of 2.25–3.
... Show MoreZinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures were synthesized through the hydrothermal method at various conditions growth times (6,7 and 8 hrs.) and a growth temperature (70, 90, and 100 ºC). The prepared ZnO nanostructure samples were described using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer to distinguish their surface morphologies and crystal structures. The ZnO samples were confirmed to have the same crystal type, with different densities and dimensions (diameter and length). The obtained ZnO nanostructures were used to manufacture gas sensors for NO2 gas detection. Sensing characteristics for the fabricated sensor to NO2 gas were examined at different operating temperatures (180, 200, 220, and 240) ºC with a low gas concentrati
... Show MoreIn this paper, thin films of undoped and nickel oxide (NiO) doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) were prepared using the chemical spray pyrolysis deposition (CSP) technique, with different concentrations of nickel oxide (NiO) in the range (3-9) wt%. The morphological, structural, electrical, and sensing properties of a gas of the prepared thin films were examined. XRD measurements showed that TiO2 films have a polycrystalline structure. AFM analysis showed that these films have a regular structure both before and after doping . The roughness of these films decreased after adding impurities but then the opposite of that took place. The electrical and gas sens
... Show MorePulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique was applied to prepared Chromium oxide (Cr2O3) nanostructure doped with Titanium oxide (TiO2) thin films at different concentration ratios 3,5,7 and 9 wt % of TiO2. The effect of TiO2 dopant on the average size of crystallite of the synthesized nanostructures was examined by X-ray diffraction. The morphological properties were discussed using atomic force microscopy(AFM). Observed optical band gap value ranged from 2.68 eV to 2.55 eV by ultraviolet visible(UV-Vis.) absorption spectroscopy with longer wave length shifted in comparison with that of the bulk Cr2O3 ~3eV. This indicated that the synthesized samples a
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