MEASURING OF THE GAP OPTICAL OF THIN FILMS BY MEANS OF OPTICAL PROPERTIES

The optical performance of any material results from its interaction with an electromagnetic radiation. Experimentally, through optical absorption measurements, it is possible to estimate the value of the photoelectric energy absorbed by the material and to acquire indications about the bandgap transition type. In this work the deposition of thin films with 100% of argon in glass substrate, deposited by magnetron sputtering, with deposition times of thirty minutes and one hour is performed. Optical constants of the films were measured by optical reflectance and transmittance measurements. These values, along with micrographs obtained in the scanning electron microscope (SEM), promote the construction of the curve that provides the estimation of the films bandgap energy. Thin films of argon with deposition time longer than the others (1 hour) are presented as more conductors due to their that 100% of argon films may have considerable potential to be used as transparent electrodes applied to solar cells as long as they have their optical response optimized by some dopant element.