Solution-Based Deposition of Transparent Eu-Doped Titanium Oxide Thin Films for Potential Security Labeling and UV Screening

oleh: Anara Molkenova, Laura Khamkhash, Ainur Zhussupbekova, Kuanysh Zhussupbekov, Sagyntay Sarsenov, Izumi Taniguchi, Igor V. Shvets, Timur Sh. Atabaev

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-06-01

Deskripsi

Transparent titanium oxide thin films attract enormous attention from the scientific community because of their prominent properties, such as low-cost, chemical stability, and optical transparency in the visible region. In this study, we developed an easy and scalable solution-based process for the deposition of transparent TiOx thin films on glass substrates. We showed that the proposed method is also suitable for the fabrication of metal-doped TiOx thin films. As proof-of-the-concept, europium Eu(III) ions were introduced into TiOx film. A photoluminescence (PL) study revealed that Eu-doped TiOx thin films showed strong red luminescence associated with <sup>5</sup>D<sub>0</sub>→<sup>7</sup>F<sub>j</sub> relaxation transitions in Eu (III). We found that prepared TiOx thin films significantly reduce the transmittance of destructive UV radiation; a feature that can be useful for the protection of photovoltaic devices. In addition, transparent and luminescent TiOx thin films can be utilized for potential security labeling.