Compositional tailored sol-gel SiO2–TiO2 thin films: Crystallization, chemical bonding configuration, and optical properties

Thin films of SiO2–TiO2 composite oxides with various SiO2:TiO2 compositions were prepared by the sol-gel method, using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as precursors. The composition, crystal structure, and chemical bonding configuration of the as-deposited and annealed SiO2–TiO2 thin films were analyzed using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), glancing incident angle x-ray diffraction (GIAXRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. Optical properties of the films were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The Si/Ti ratios in the SiO2–TiO2 films agree with the TEOS/TTIP molar ratio in the sol-gel precursor. When the TEOS/(TEOS + TTIP) ratio is greater than 40%, the SiO2–TiO2 thin films remain amorphous (without formation of TiO2 crystalline phase) after annealing at temperatures as high as 700 °C. FTIR spectra indicate that the quantity of Si–O–Ti bonding can be maximized when the TEOS:TTIP in the precursor is 80%:20%. The refractive index of the SiO2–TiO2 films increases approximately linearly to the mixing ratio of TTIP/(TEOS + TTIP). However, SiO2-rich films possess higher ultraviolet-visible transmittance than the TiO2-rich films. The modification of microstructure and chemical bonding configuration in the SiO2–TiO2 films by the composition and its influence on the optical properties are discussed.