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Crystals
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Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers
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Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 20511

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lukasz Skowronski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Mathematics and Physics, UTP University of Science and Technology, S. Kaliskiego 7, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Interests: optical properties; microstructure; spectroscopic ellipsometry; functional coatings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The optical and microstructural properties of thin layers differ from those of bulk materials. The properties of films strongly depend not only on the type of material used but also on the chosen method of synthesis. 
In recent years, new methods for the fabrication of thin films have been developed and classical methods have been modified; however, traditional techniques are still used to produce high-quality layers. Because of the limitations of the synthesis methods, they cannot, generally, be used to obtain any coatings with specific properties. Therefore, it is important to recognize the relationship between the different synthesis methods and the properties of the desired layers. The properties of materials can also be varied by changing their composition as a result of, e.g., doping or alloying.   
The aim of this Special Issue is to present the results of recent works on the relationships between growth conditions (or, in general, methods of synthesis) and/or layers modification and optical properties of the resulting layer, as well as microstructure of inorganic and organic films. Papers on multi-layer systems are also welcome.

Dr. Lukasz Skowronski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microstructure
  • optical properties
  • thin-film growth
  • functional coatings
  • characterization

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

2 pages, 159 KiB  
Editorial
Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers
by Łukasz Skowroński
Crystals 2020, 10(9), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10090749 - 26 Aug 2020
Viewed by 1240
Abstract
The microstructure and optical properties of layers strongly depend on the method of synthesis. This Special Issue on “Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers” is a collection of papers on the relationships between the growth conditions and specific properties of thin films. [...] Read more.
The microstructure and optical properties of layers strongly depend on the method of synthesis. This Special Issue on “Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers” is a collection of papers on the relationships between the growth conditions and specific properties of thin films. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 2845 KiB  
Article
Enhancement of Solar Cell Performance of Electrodeposited Ti/n-Cu2O/p-Cu2O/Au Homojunction Solar Cells by Interface and Surface Modification
by Charith Jayathilaka, Loku Singgappulige Rosantha Kumara, Koji Ohara, Chulho Song, Shinji Kohara, Osami Sakata, Withana Siripala and Sumedha Jayanetti
Crystals 2020, 10(7), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10070609 - 13 Jul 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2723
Abstract
Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) homojunction thin films on Ti substrates were fabricated by an electrochemical deposition in which a p-Cu2O layer was deposited on an n-Cu2O layer by carefully controlled bath conditions. It was found that [...] Read more.
Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) homojunction thin films on Ti substrates were fabricated by an electrochemical deposition in which a p-Cu2O layer was deposited on an n-Cu2O layer by carefully controlled bath conditions. It was found that the open-circuit voltage of the homojunction solar cell was significantly influenced by the pH of the lactate bath. The variation of the pH was used to achieve the best possible crystal orientation for homojunctions. The crystallinity and morphology of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-energy x-ray diffraction (HEXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The current density voltage (J-V) analysis showed that the sulfur treatment and annealing enhanced the photocurrent by ten-fold compared to the untreated and unannealed homojunction solar cell. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirmed that the sulfur treatment eliminated the surface CuO and formed a thin layer of CuS, which was very useful to make the front Ohmic contact. Transient measurements confirmed that the p-type Cu2O layer, which was subjected to sulfur treatment, significantly reduced the recombination, thus enhancing the efficiency of the solar cell. The best sulfur treated annealed Ti/n-Cu2O/p-Cu2O/Au solar cell produced an energy conversion efficiency of 2.64% with an open-circuit voltage of 490 mV and a short circuit current density of 12.8 mA cm−2 under AM 1.5 illumination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers)
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11 pages, 4573 KiB  
Article
Gold Nanoisland Agglomeration upon the Substrate Assisted Chemical Etching Based on Thermal Annealing Process
by Potejana Potejanasak and Sethavut Duangchan
Crystals 2020, 10(6), 533; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10060533 - 23 Jun 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3467
Abstract
In this study, we proposed the self-organization process and its localized surface plasmon resonance property (LSPR) to study the effect of chemically treated quartz glass substrates for gold nanoisland array formation. Firstly, we etched a quartz glass substrate using a sputter etching machine. [...] Read more.
In this study, we proposed the self-organization process and its localized surface plasmon resonance property (LSPR) to study the effect of chemically treated quartz glass substrates for gold nanoisland array formation. Firstly, we etched a quartz glass substrate using a sputter etching machine. Secondly, n-butanol was treated on the surface of the substrate. Then, we deposited a gold thin film on the substrate with assisted chemical etching. Finally, the self-organization method examined the thermal annealing of gold nanoisland arrays on a substrate. The results showed that the gold nanoisland that was aggregated on an etched quartz glass substrate was large and sparse, while the gold nanoisland aggregated on a chemically treated substrate was small and dense. Further, it was revealed that a substrate’s surface energy reduced chemical treating and increased the gold nanoisland contact angle on the substrate via the thermal annealing process. It was also confirmed that chemical treatment was useful to control the morphology of gold nanoisland arrays on a substrate, particularly when related to tuning their optical property. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers)
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16 pages, 5136 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Annealing Temperature on the Structural and Optical Properties of ZrO2 Thin Films and How Affects the Hydrophilicity
by A. Méndez-López, O. Zelaya-Ángel, M. Toledano-Ayala, I. Torres-Pacheco, J.F. Pérez-Robles and Y.J. Acosta-Silva
Crystals 2020, 10(6), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10060454 - 31 May 2020
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4942
Abstract
Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) thin films were prepared by the sol-gel dip coating technique, in combination with annealing at different temperatures in air atmosphere, with the final goal of studying the water wettability of the surface. The annealing effects on the structural [...] Read more.
Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) thin films were prepared by the sol-gel dip coating technique, in combination with annealing at different temperatures in air atmosphere, with the final goal of studying the water wettability of the surface. The annealing effects on the structural and optical properties of the ZrO2 films were investigated to check the characteristics of the material. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of ZrO2 annealed at 450 °C and 550 °C show the formation of tetragonal phase, with layers constituted by nanoparticles with average particle size of 21 nm and 25 nm, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra revealed the presence of vibrational modes associated to ZrO2. Photoluminescence (PL) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) spectroscopy was used for optical properties. All deposited ZrO2 thin films presented a high optical transparency, with an average transmittance above 70% in the visible range (400–700 nm). The hydrophilic properties of ZrO2 films were characterized by means of the measurements of the contact angle. When the sample was annealed at 550 °C, the hydrophilicity reached the best behavior, which was explained as an effect of the structural and morphological change of the films. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers)
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11 pages, 1529 KiB  
Article
The Optical and Microstructural Characterization of the Polymeric Thin Films with Self-Assembly Nanoparticles Prepared by Spin-Coating Techniques
by Kwang-Ming Lee, Chia-Hong Huang, Chia-Yu Chang and Chung-Cheng Chang
Crystals 2020, 10(5), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10050390 - 11 May 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2283
Abstract
anhydride-poly(ethylene glycol) co-polymer (A-PEGCP) has been synthesized from maleic anhydride, poly(ethylene glycol) and bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether without using any organic solvent. The thin films produced from A-PEGCP solution were spin-coated on ITO-coated glass. The nanoparticles are observed in the thin films. It is [...] Read more.
anhydride-poly(ethylene glycol) co-polymer (A-PEGCP) has been synthesized from maleic anhydride, poly(ethylene glycol) and bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether without using any organic solvent. The thin films produced from A-PEGCP solution were spin-coated on ITO-coated glass. The nanoparticles are observed in the thin films. It is proposed that the nanoparticle is built by a self-assembly process with bisphenol-A aggregates and poly (ethylene glycol) moieties. The effects of concentration, thermal annealing, excitation wavelength and moisture on the optical and nanostructured characterization of the thin films are investigated in this study. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the thin film on ITO-coated glass has a peak of about 450 nm that extends from 360 to 550 nm under 325 nm excitation. The increase in PL intensity is accompanied by a red shift of PL spectrum as concentration increases. Moreover, the slightly red shift of PL spectrum is also observed as annealing temperature increases. Meanwhile, PL intensity negligibly decreases with annealing temperature. The degradation in PL intensity is apparent due to moisture. The excitation-wavelength dependent photoluminescence (EWDP) is observed in the thin film. UV-Vis absorption spectra of the thin films are red-shifted with concentration due to more molecular aggregation. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy is −9.52 eV. The optical band-gap energy is 4.09–4.44 eV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers)
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11 pages, 1060 KiB  
Article
Inhibiting the Segregation of Germanium in Silver Nanolayers
by Arkadiusz Ciesielski, Marek Trzcinski and Tomasz Szoplik
Crystals 2020, 10(4), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10040262 - 01 Apr 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2463
Abstract
It is generally acknowledged that using germanium as a wetting film for silver nanolayers decreases the surface roughness of the metal. However, germanium atoms also tend to segregate towards the surface of silver films, increasing ohmic losses in the structure. Here we propose [...] Read more.
It is generally acknowledged that using germanium as a wetting film for silver nanolayers decreases the surface roughness of the metal. However, germanium atoms also tend to segregate towards the surface of silver films, increasing ohmic losses in the structure. Here we propose an Au/Ge/Ag based structure where the segregation of germanium in silver is inhibited. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show that for the Au/Ge/Ag system, the surface concentration of germanium drops by an order of magnitude relative to multilayers containing only one type of metal (Ag or Au). We have also observed that the time-dependent decrease in the reflectivity due to localized surface plasmon excitation is less prominent in the case of the Au/Ge/Ag structure than in the case of Ag/Ge/Ag. We provide XPS as well as optical reflectometry results to support that claim. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers)
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Graphical abstract

10 pages, 1948 KiB  
Article
Growth and Characterization of (Tb,Yb) Co-Doping Sprayed ZnO Thin Films
by A. El hat, I. Chaki, R. Essajai, A. Mzerd, G. Schmerber, M. Regragui, A. Belayachi, Z. Sekkat, A. Dinia, A. Slaoui and M. Abd-Lefdil
Crystals 2020, 10(3), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10030169 - 05 Mar 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2889
Abstract
Structural, optical and electrical properties of (ytterbium/terbium) co-doped ZnO thin films deposited on glass substrates using the spray pyrolysis method were investigated. The films exhibited the hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferential orientation along (002) direction. No secondary phase was observed in the [...] Read more.
Structural, optical and electrical properties of (ytterbium/terbium) co-doped ZnO thin films deposited on glass substrates using the spray pyrolysis method were investigated. The films exhibited the hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferential orientation along (002) direction. No secondary phase was observed in the X-ray diffraction detection limit. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was performed and root means square roughness (RMS) of our samples decreased with terbium content. Photoluminescence measurements showed a luminescence band at 980 nm which is characteristic of Yb3+ transition between the electronic levels 2F5/2 to 2F7/2. This is experimental evidence for an efficient energy transfer from the ZnO matrix to Yb. Hall Effect measurements gave a low electrical resistivity value around 6.0 × 10−3 Ω.cm. Such characteristics make these films of interest to photovoltaic devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical and Microstructural Characterization of Thin Layers)
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