Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of Al+MoO<sub>3</sub> and Au+MoO<sub>3</sub> Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Codeposition

oleh: Tihomir Car, Ivan Jakovac, Ivana Šarić, Sigrid Bernstorff, Maja Micetic

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-02-01

Deskripsi

Structural, optical and electrical properties of Al+MoO<sub>3</sub> and Au+MoO<sub>3</sub> thin films prepared by simultaneous magnetron sputtering deposition were investigated. The influence of MoO<sub>3</sub> sputtering power on the Al and Au nanoparticle formation and spatial distribution was explored. We demonstrated the formation of spatially arranged Au nanoparticles in the MoO<sub>3</sub> matrix, while Al incorporates in the MoO<sub>3</sub> matrix without nanoparticle formation. The dependence of the Au nanoparticle size and arrangement on the MoO<sub>3</sub> sputtering power was established. The Al-based films show a decrease of overall absorption with an Al content increase, while the Au-based films have the opposite trend. The transport properties of the investigated films also are completely different. The resistivity of the Al-based films increases with the Al content, while it decreases with the Au content increase. The reason is a different transport mechanism that occurs in the films due to their different structural properties. The choice of the incorporated material (Al or Au) and its volume percentage in the MoO<sub>3</sub> matrix enables the design of materials with desirable optical and electrical characteristics for a variety of applications.