Abstract
The authors devoted this paper to study the influence of the substrate temperature upon optical characteristics of iron oxide thin films. Spray pyrolysis technique, SPT, was used to deposit Fe2O3 thin films onto preheated glass substrates (450 °C\(\geq\) Tsub \(\geq\) 250 °C). X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the formed thin-film sample of Tsub < 300 °C has a non-crystalline nature. While it confirmed that deposited samples of Tsub > 300 °C are hematite samples of polycrystalline nature and they have the rhombohedral structure. The optical properties of the present thin films were studied at room temperature in the wavelength range 300–2500 nm. Transmittance and reflectance measurements were utilized to determine and study the optical properties and optical constants. The absorption coefficient, optical density, the optical energy gap, Urbach energy, steepness parameter, and the electron–phonon interaction of films have been evaluated and discussed. The optical energy gap, Eg, was the result of direct and indirect allowed transitions. Eg increased from 2.10 eV to 2.39 eV when the transition is direct and from 1.87 eV to 1.99 eV for indirect transition. While Urbach’s energy decreased from 223 meV to 143 meV and the electron–phonon interaction from 4.089 to 1.778 when the substrate temperature was increased from 250 °C to 450 °C, respectively. The extinction coefficient and refractive index have been also estimated and studied. All optical properties of Fe2O3 thin films discussed in this research work have been strongly dependent upon the substrate temperature.
Graphical abstract
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M.F. Al-Kuhaili, M. Saleem, S.M.A. Durrani, J. Alloy. Compd. 521, 178 (2012)
H. Mansour, H. Letifi, R. Bargougui, S. De Almeida-Didry, B. Negulescu, C.A. Lambert, A. Gadri, S. Ammar, Appl. Phys. A 123, 787 (2017)
A.A. Yadav, J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 27, 12876–12883 (2016)
Z. Hubička, Š Kment, J. Olejníček, M. Čada, T. Kubart, M. Brunclíková, P. Kšírová, P. Adámek, Z. Remeš, Thin Solid Films 549, 184 (2013)
E.L. Miller, D. Paluselli, B. Marsen, R.E. Rocheleau, Thin Solid Films 466, 307 (2004)
D. A.Cots, P. Cibrev, R. Bonete, Gómez, J. Solid State Electrochem. 22, 149–156 (2018)
L. Kopanja, I. Milosevic, M. Panjan, V. Damnjanovic, M. Tadic, Appl. Surf. Sci. 362, 380 (2016)
Y.J. Park, K.M.A. Sobahan, C.K. Hwangbo, Surf. Coat. Technol. 203, 2646 (2009)
B. Ouertani, J. Ouerfelli, M. Saadoun, H. Ezzaouia, B. Bessaïs, Thin Solid Films 516, 8584–8586 (2008)
N. Shreelekha, S.D. Khatavkar, Sartale, J. Solid State Electrochem. 21, 2555–2566 (2017)
M.A. Gondal, M.N. Sayeed, A. Alarfaj, Chem. Phys. Lett. 445, 325 (2007)
Y. Huang, Z. Lin, M. Zheng, T. Wang, J. Yang, F. Yuan, X. Lu, L. Liu, D. Sun, J. Power Sour. 307, 649 (2016)
U. Kasavajjula, C. Wang, A.J. Appleby, J. Power Sour. 163, 1003 (2007)
J. Cabana, L. Monconduit, D. Larcher, M.R. Palacin, Adv. Mater. 22, E170 (2010)
M. Saleem, S.M.A. Durrani, N. Saheb, M.F. Al-Kuhaili, I.A. Bakhtiari, Appl. Surf. Sci. 320, 653 (2014)
Y. Jiang, D. Zhang, Y. Li, T. Yuan, N. Bahlawane, C. Liang, W. Sun, Y. Lu, M. Yan, Nano Energy 4, 23 (2014)
J. Guo, Q. Liu, C. Wang, M.R. Zachariah, Adv. Funct. Mater. 22, 803 (2012)
J.Y. Shin, D. Samuelis, J. Maier, Adv. Funct. Mater. 21, 3464 (2011)
S. Mira Ristic´, Music´, J. Alloy. Compd. 425, 384 (2006)
A. Alaa, Akl, Appl. Surf. Sci. 256, 7496 (2010)
R. Al-Gaashani, S. Radiman, N. Tabet, A.R. Daud, J. Alloy. Compd. 550, 395 (2013)
A. Alaa, Akl, Appl. Surf. Sci. 221, 319 (2004)
C.X. Kronawitter, S.S. Mao, B.R. Antoun, Appl. Phys. Lett. 98, 092108 (2011)
G. Zotti, G. Schiavon, U. Casellato, J. Electrochem. Soc. 145, 385 (1998)
S. Xue, W. Ousi-Benomar, R.A. Lessard, Thin Solid Films 250, 194 (1994)
K. Morl, U. Ropke, B. Knappe, J. Lehmann, R. Perthel, H. Schroder, Thin Solid Films 60, 49 (1979)
N. Ozer, F. Tepehan, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 56, 141 (1999)
M. Gartner, M. Crisan, A. Jitianu, R. Scurtu, R. Gavrila, I. Oprea, M. Zaharescu, J. Sol–Gel Sci. Technol. 26, 745 (2003)
S. Mathur, V. Sivakov, H. Shen, S. Barth, C. Cavelius, A. Nilsson, P. Kuhn, Thin Solid Films 502, 88 (2006)
S.A.J. AL-Dahaan, A.H.O. Al-khayatt, M.K. Salman, J. Kufa Phys. 6, 2 (2014) 16.
A.A. Akl, J. Phys Chem Solids 71, 223–229 (2010)
A.S. Hassanien, A.A. Akl, Phys. B: 473, 11–19 (2015)
A.A. Akl, S.A. Mahmoud, S.M. AL-Shomar, A.S. Hassanien, Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 74, 183–192 (2018)
A. Alaa, A.S. Akl, Hassanien, Superlattices Microstruct. 85, 67–81 (2015)
A.S. Hassanien, A.A. Akl, A.H. Sáaedi, J. Cryst. Eng. Comm. 20, 1716–1730 (2018)
A.S. Hassanien, A.A. Akl, Supperlattice Microstuct. 89, 153 (2016)
S.A. Fayek, M. El-Ocker, A.S. Hassanien, Mater. Chem. Phys. 70, 231 (2001)
A.S. Hassanien, A.A. Akl, J. Alloy. Compd. 648, 280 (2015)
P.M. Kulal, D.P. Dubal, C.D. Lokhande, V.J. Fulari, J. Alloys Compd. 509, 2567 (2011)
T.P. Gujar, V.R. Shinde, C.D. Lokhande, W.Y. Kim, K.D. Jung, O.S. Joo, Electrochem. Commun. 9, 504 (2007)
Y.W. Phuan, M.N. Chong, T. Zhu, S.T. Yong, E.S. Chan, Mater. Res. Bull. 69, 71–77 (2015)
T. Kim, M. Lee, S. Lee, Y. Park, C. Jung, J.-H. Boo, Thin Solid Films 475, 171–177 (2005)
H. Bazrafshan, Z.A. Tesieh, S. Dabirnia, R.S. Touba, H. Manghabati, B. Nasernejad, Powder Technol. 308, 266–272 (2017)
J. Li, L. Wang, Z. Liu, Y. Wang, S. Wang, J. Alloy. Compd. 728, 944–951 (2017)
A. Alaa Akl, Bull. Catal. Soc. India 10, 50 (2011)
I.N. Shklyarevski, T.I. Komveeva, K.N. Zozula, Opt. Spect. 27, 174 (1969)
N.F. Mott, E.A. Davis, Electronic processes in non-crystalline materials (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1979)
R. Chikwenze, S. Ezugwu, Chalcogenide Lett. 12, 399 (2015) 8
M.M. El-Nahass, M.H. Ali, I.T. Zedan, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 404, 78 (2014)
F. Urbach, Phys. Rev. 92, 1324 (1953)
M. El-Hagary, M.E. Ismail, E.R. Shaaban, A. El-Taher, Rad. Phys. Chem. 81, 1572 (2012)
A.A. Al-Ghamdi, Vacuum 80, 400 (2006)
M. Ilyas, M. Zulfequar, M. Husain, J. Mod. Opt. 47, 663 (2000)
T.T. Nang, M. Okuda, T. Matsushita, S. Yokota, A. Suzuki, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 14, 849 (1976)
A.H. Hammad, A.M. Abdelghany, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 433, 14 (2016)
M. Altaf, M.A. Chaudhry, Z. Maria, J. Res. Sci. 14, 253 (2003)
J. Tauc, Amorphous and Liquid Semiconductors (Plenum, New York, 1974)
S.M.H. Qaid, M.S. Al Sobaie, M.A. Majeed Khan, I.M. Bedja, F.H. Alharbi, M.K. Nazeeruddin, A.S. Aldwayyan, Mater. Lett. 164, 498 (2016)
A. Alaa, Akl, Appl. Surf. Sci. 233, 307 (2004)
A.N.C. Agbogu, M.P. Orji, A.B.C. Ekwealor, Optik 127, 9865–9870 (2016)
R.D. Suryavanshi, K.Y. Rajpure, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 357, 72–80 (2018)
R. Parmar, R.S. Kundu, R. Punia, P. Aghamkar, N. Kishore, Phys. B 450, 39 (2014)
J. Melsheimer, D. Ziegler, Thin Solid Films 129, 35 (1985)
T. Skettrup, Phys. Rev. B 18, 2622 (1978)
L.L. Kazmersky (ed.), Polycrystalline and amorphous thin films and devices (Academic, New York, 1980), p. 135
J. Ozdanova, H. Ticha, L. Tichy, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 353, 2799 (2007)
C. Hamaguchi (2017) Electron–phonon interaction and electron transport. Basic semiconductor physics. Graduate Texts in Physics. Springer, Cham
S.A. Mahmoud, A.A. Akl, S.M. Al-Shomar, Phys. B 404, 2151 (2009)
H.E. Atyia, N.A. Hegab, Phys. B 454, 189 (2014)
O.S. Heavens, Optical properties of thin solid films (Dover, New York, 1965)
P. Hervab, L.K.J. Van damme, Infrared Phys. Technol. 35(4), 609–615 (1994)
N.M. Ravindra, P. Ganapathy, J. Choi, Infrared Phys. Technol. 50, 21–29 (2007)
A.S. Hassanien, J. Alloy. Compd. 671, 566–578 (2016)
F.J. Kahn, P.S. Pershan, J.P. Remeika, Phys. Rev. 186, 891 (1969)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hassanien, A.S., Akl, A.A. Optical characteristics of iron oxide thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique at different substrate temperatures. Appl. Phys. A 124, 752 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-2180-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-2180-6