Optical properties of Yttrium Oxide thin films prepared by SOL-GEL method
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Date
2024
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UMT, Lahore
Abstract
Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) thin films have piqued the interest of researchers in recent years due to their numerous useful uses in optoelectronic and solar devices. Using these thin films for both industrial and scientific uses is standard procedure for researchers. In this study, yttrium oxide thin films are prepared using an application oriented sol-gel approach. The range of molar concentration is 0.1M to 0.6M. Structural and optical properties are acquired using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometer. At all molar concentrations, XRD analysis verifies the development of pure cubic phases in yttrium oxide thin films. As the molar concentration rises, the crystallinity of thin films increases, which results in an increase in the crystallite size value. Optical analysis confirmed that the prepared samples resulted with wide direct band gap, high refractive index and high transparency in the visible near infrared region. High value of transmission (~ 90%) along with direct band gap (~5.83) is observed for 0.6M molar concetration. The yttrium oxide thin films exhibit a band gap energy ranging from 5.76eV to 5.83eV. Furthermore, as the molar concentration increases, optical-constants, n and k of Y2O3 films tend to rise for all concentrations. Results suggest that this could be advantageous for the material's future application as yttrium oxide thin films proved to be promising candidate for optoelectronic devices. In order to maximize the potential of the approach, this work will stimulate further research on the creation of Y2O3 thin films using the spin coating sol-gel technique.