Influence of pH on the optical and structural properties of spin coated CeO2-TiO2 thin films prepared by sol-gel process

Optical and structural properties of mixed CeO2-TiO2 thin films have been investigated by varying the pH of the coating sol. The films were prepared by sol-gel process using spin-coating technique with a spin speed of 2500 rpm. The optical and structural properties of films were examined by a spectrophotometer, AFM and XRD. Optical constants and thickness of the CeO2-TiO2 thin films have been determined with respect to the pH of the coating bath before deposition. The refractive index at 550 nm wavelength increases from 1.49 to 1.60 when the pH of the sol increases from 2.22 to 2.92. The thickness increases from 46.6 nm to 96.1 nm in this pH range. The XRD measurements show that the films have amorphous structure. The AFM analysis shows that the pH of sol prior to deposition changes the uniformity and porosity of the films. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.