On the optical properties of Ag^{+15} ion-beam irradiated TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films

TL;DR

This study investigates how 200-MeV Ag^{+15} ion irradiation affects the optical properties of TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films, revealing systematic transmittance changes and bandgap modifications linked to induced structural disorder.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of high-energy ion irradiation on the optical properties of TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films, highlighting the role of controlled defects.

Findings

Transmittance of TiO_{2} increases with irradiation fluence.

Transmittance of SnO_{2} decreases with irradiation fluence.

Bandgap modifications are linked to structural disorder.

Abstract

The effects of 200-MeV Ag^{+15} ion irradiation on the optical properties of TiO_{2} and SnO_{2} thin films prepared by using the RF magnetron sputtering technique were investigated. These films were characterized by using UV-vis spectroscopy, and with increasing irradiation fluence, the transmittance for the TiO_{2} films was observed to increase systematically while that for SnO_{2} was observed to decrease. Absorption spectra of the irradiated samples showed minor changes in the indirect bandgap from 3.44 to 3.59 eV with increasing irradiation fluence for TiO_{2} while significant changes in the direct bandgap from 3.92 to 3.6 eV were observed for SnO_{2}. The observed modifications in the optical properties of both the TiO_{2} and the SnO_{2} systems with irradiation can be attributed to controlled structural disorder/defects in the system.