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Optical properties and complex refractive index of Co-doped ZnO waveguide thin films elaborated by spray pyrolysis

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Abstract

\({\text{Co}}_{x}{\text{Zn}}_{1-x}{\text{O}}\) (x = 0.00, 0.04, 0.08, and 0.10) thin films were sprayed pyrolysis onto ordinary glass substrates. The micro-Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of wurtzite structure in all films. The UV–Vis investigation showed good optical transmittance in the visible region with the increase in the absorption bands related to internal \({\text{Co}}^{+2}\) d–d transitions over Co concentration. The optical gap energy decreased by 0.34 eV as Co doping increased, contrary to Urbach energy which increased by 230 meV. The SEM observation indicated grain shape modification of the surface morphology of the films in addition to slight decrease in the grain size. M-lines spectroscopy measured the ordinary refractive index which was found to increase by 0.0156 as the Co doping increased. Cobalt doping provoked the extinction of light coupling and propagation in the films manifested as an increase in full width at the half maximum of the guided peaks and a decrease in the reflected intensity. This was due to the increase in the extinction coefficient measured by UV–Vis spectroscopy.

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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are included in the manuscript and available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Couches Minces et Interfaces, Université des Frères Mentouri Constantine 1, Constantine, Algeria

    Halima Djaaboube, Abdelouadoud Mammeri, Adel Taabouche & Abderrahmane Bouabellou

  2. Laboratoire Technologie des Matériaux Avancés, Ecole Nationale Polytechnique de Constantine Malek BENNABI, BP 75A RP, Ali Mendjeli, Constantine, Algeria

    Yassine Bouachiba

  3. Research Center in Industrial Technologies (CRTI), BP 64 Cheraga, Alger, Algeria

    Hacene Serrar

  4. Laboratoire Dosage, Analyse et Caractérisation en Haute Résolution, Université Ferhat Abbas, Sétif, Algeria

    Ilyes Sekhri

  5. Nuclear Techniques Division, Nuclear Research Center of Algiers, 2 Bd, Frantz Fanon, BP 399, 16000, Algiers, Algeria

    Badis Rahal

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  1. Halima Djaaboube
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Contributions

YB conceived the idea of the articles and m-lines measurements. The elaboration of the films in addition to UV–Vis and micro-Raman measurements were carried out by HD scanning electron microscope images were performed by IS. All others contributed to the interpretation of the results and provided critical feedback and helped shape the research, analysis, and manuscript.

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Correspondence to Halima Djaaboube.

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Djaaboube, H., Mammeri, A., Bouachiba, Y. et al. Optical properties and complex refractive index of Co-doped ZnO waveguide thin films elaborated by spray pyrolysis. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 33, 16056–16065 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-022-08498-x

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