Comparison the optical properties for Bi2O3 and NiO ultrathin films deposited on different substrates by DC sputtering technique for transparent electronics

Bismuth and Nickel transparent oxides thin films were grown on glass and flexible polyethylene terephalate (PET) substrates by DC sputtering technique at room temperature 300 K. The structures of Bi2O3 and NiO films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A profilometry is used to measure the thicknesses of the ultrathin films. These values were established by a spectro-ellipsometry technique with a new amorphous dispersion model in the range of 200 nm-2200 nm with one nm increment. In addition, the optical constants of these films were investigated using a double beam UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer and a spectro-ellipsometry and compared using the same wavelength range. They present an excellent agreement. According to the optical transmittance spectra of the films a high average transmittance in the visible region of each sample deposited onto different substrates is measured. Moreover, the absorption coefficients and the optical energy gaps for four types of optical transitions (allowed direct, forbidden direct, allowed indirect, forbidden indirect) of the films were determined and compared with the two different techniques. Finally, the nature of the structure and morphology of Bi2O3 and NiO ultrathin films has been analyzed and compared. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.