Effect of Sprayed Solution Volume on Physical Properties of Titanium Dioxide Thin Films

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique from different solution volumes. We studied the effect of sprayed solution volume on the structural, morphological and optical properties of TiO 2 films. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the presence of an anatase phase with a tetragonal structure with (101) preferred orientation. The best crystallinity was obtained in the case of a sprayed solution volume of 60 ml. Also, this film had a lower average surface roughness (RMS) as measured by atomic force microscopy. Transmission and reflection optical analysis showed interference phenomena indicating a smooth reflecting surface of the film. An indirect band gap of about 3.46 eV was found, indicating a potential use of these films in solar cell devices. Based on the optical measurements, the film thickness was determined by the envelope method, which was in agreement with the scanning electron microscopy result. Wemple–Di Domenico single oscillator and Spitzer–Fan models were used to study the optical constants of the films grown from different sprayed solution volumes. Photoluminescence emission intensity was found to increase with increasing film crystallinity, and the spectra showed ultraviolet and visible emissions corresponding to intrinsic emission and trap levels within the band gap, respectively.