Structural, Morphological, and Optical Properties of Nanocrystalline (Bi2O3)1-x:(TiO2)x Thin Films for Transparent Electronics

The fabrication of low cost and eco-friendly transparent electronics using metal oxide semiconductors is still a challenging task. In this work, transparent nanocrystalline (Bi2O3)(1-x):(TiO2)(x) thin films were synthesized using a pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD); XRD analysis shows the films have polycrystalline structure of monoclinic Bi2O3; morphological and topographical properties were analyzed by SEM and AFM showing the films have smooth surfaces with RMS roughness (4.26-7.37nm) with micro-and nano-spheres (2m to 23nm); the optical properties were analyzed by Uv-Vis spectrometer and revealed high transmittance in the visible range; the best results were obtained at x=0.05 where the highest crystallinity, highest transmittance (>82%), and highest band gap (3.769eV) were achieved; and empirical models have been proposed to estimate the band gap and Bi-O bond lengths as a function of TiO2 concentration with excellent coincidence with the experimental data.