Hydrothermal Growth of Titanium Dioxide Thin Films on Conductive Substrates: Insights into Optical Properties
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15408/jkv.v11i2.46532Keywords:
Hydrothermal, rutile, thin film, TiO2Abstract
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (F:SnO2/FTO) conducting glass using the hydrothermal method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed that the TiO2 thin films crystallize in the rutile phase, exhibiting high crystallinity. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed the interaction between the FTO substrate and the TiO2 layer, indicated by an absorption peak in the range of 400 cm-1 to 900 cm-1. These peaks correspond to Ti–O–Ti and Ti–O vibrations within the octahedral structure of TiO₆ and Sn–O–Ti vibrations, indicating the bonding between the FTO substrate and the TiO₂ surface. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images provide detailed visualization of the morphological features of the TiO₂ thin films deposited on FTO glass, as evidenced by the prolonged hydrothermal processing resulting in the formation of thicker films. In addition, the interface between the TiO₂ layer and the FTO substrate is well-defined and continuous. UV-Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) analysis showed enhanced light absorption with increasing film thickness, which was also visually noticeable. As a result, the band gap energy decreases with increasing thickness, indicating that less energy is required to excite electrons from the valence band to the conduction band.
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