Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optical and structural properties of aluminium oxide thin films prepared by a non-aqueous sol–gel technique

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Clear aluminium oxide sols without precipitation were synthesized via a non-aqueous sol–gel technique using three different alcohols (ethanol, isopropanol and n-butyl alcohol) as solvent, aluminium sec-butoxide as a precursor and acetyl acetone as a chelating agent. Although all sols could be successfully used to prepare thin films, the most stable one was prepared with n-butyl alcohol. Highly transparent, homogenous and amorphous aluminium oxide thin films were obtained on Si substrates after a heat treatment at 500 °C. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared absorption (FT-IR) spectroscopy revealed all films were hydroxide free. The optical and structural properties of the films were particularly investigated. Any significant difference except from thickness on the film properties was not observed by changing the alcohol. Refractive index was used as an indication of the porosity of the films and ranged from 1.54 to 1.60.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Avci N, Musschoot J, Smet PF, Korthout K, Avci A, Detavernier C, Poelman D (2009) J Electrochem Soc 156:J333–J337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Jiang D, Hulbert DM, Anselmi-Tamburini U, Ng T, Land D, Mukherjee AK (2008) J Am Ceram Soc 91:151–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Palik ED (1998) Handbook of optical constants of solids, vol 3. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  4. Boumaza A, Favaro L, Le′dion J, Sattonnay G, Brubach JB, Berthet P, Huntz AM, Roy P, Tétot R (2009) J Solid State Chem 182:1171–1176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zeng WM, Gao L, Gui LH, Guo JK (1999) Ceram Int 25:723–726

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Vanbesien K, De Visschere P, Smet PF, Poelman D (2006) Thin Solid Films 514:323–328

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hirata G, Perea N, Tejeda M, Gonzalez-Ortega JA, McKittrick J (2005) Opt Mater 27:1311–1315

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tadanaga K, Katata N, Minami T (1997) J Am Ceram Soc 80:1040–1042

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lee JW, Won CW, Chun BS, Sohn HY (1993) J Mater Res 8:3151–3157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Dong B, Yang T, Lei MK (2007) Sens Actuators B: Chem 123:667–670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Thompson DW, Snyder PG, Castro L, Yan L, Kaipa P, Woollam JA (2005) J Appl Phys 97:113511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Guo CF, Chu BL, Su Q (2004) Appl Surf Sci 225:198–203

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ozer N, Cronin JP, Yao YJ, Tomsia AP (1999) Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 59:355–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Langereis E, Creatore M, Heil SBS, Van de Sanden MCM, Kessels WMM (2006) Appl Phys Lett 89:081915

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Groner MD, George SM, McLean RS, Carcia PF (2006) Appl Phys Lett 88:051907

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Henry BM, Erlat AG, McGuigan A, Grovenor CRM, Briggs GAD, Tsukahara Y, Miyamoto T, Noguchi N, Niijima T (2001) Thin Solid Films 382:194–201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Duan XF, Tran NH, Roberts NK, Lamb RN (2009) Thin Solid Films 517:6726–6730

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Di Fonzo F, Tonini D, Bassi AL, Casari CS, Beghi MG, Bottani CE, Gastaldi D, Vena P, Contro R (2008) Appl Phys A: Mater Sci Process 93:765–769

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Smet PF, Moreels I, Hens Z, Poelman D (2010) Materials 3:2834–2883

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Avci N, Cimieri I, Smet PF, Poelman D (2011) Opt Mater 33:1032–1035

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Galca AC, Kooij ES, Wormeester H, Salm C, Leca V, Rector JH, Poelsema B (2003) J Appl Phys 94:4296–4305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Avci N, Smet PF, Poelman H, Van De Velde N, De Buysser K, Van Driessche I, Poelman D (2009) J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 52:424–431

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Mata-Zamora ME, Saniger JM (2005) Revista Mexicana De Fisica 51:502–509

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kloprogge JT, Duong LV, Wood BJ, Frost RL (2006) J Colloid Interface Sci 296:572–576

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Wang JQ, Yang SR, Chen M, Xue QJ (2004) Surf Coat Technol 176:229–235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Morterra C, Magnacca G (1996) Catal Today 27:497–532

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Nguefack M, Popa AF, Rossignol S, Kappenstein C (2003) Phys Chem Chem Phys 5:4279–4289

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Liu G, Jia MJ, Zhou Z, Wang L, Zhang WX, Jiang DZ (2006) J Colloid Interface Sci 302:278–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Fessi S, Ghorbel A (2000) J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 19:417–420

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tadanaga TIK, Tohge N, Minami T (1994) J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 3:5–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Rinaldi R, Schuchardt U (2005) J Catal 236:335–345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Priya GK, Padmaja P, Warrier KGK, Damodaran AD, Aruldhas G (1997) J Mater Sci Lett 16:1584–1587

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Shek CH, Lai JKL, Gu TS, Lin GM (1997) Nanostruct Mater 8:605–610

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. University of Reading. http://www.reading.ac.uk/infrared/library/infraredmaterials/ir-infraredmaterials-si.aspx. Accessed 01 Apr 2011

  35. Wagner P, Hage J (1989) Appl Phys A: Mater Sci Process 49:123–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Poelman D, Smet PF (2003) J Phys D: Appl Phys 36:1850–1857

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Lichtenstein T (1972) Handbook of thin film materials. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research is supported by the Interuniversity attraction poles programme IAP/VI-17 (INANOMAT) financed by the Belgian State, Federal science policy office. We gratefully acknowledge Nico De Roo for help with XPS measurements and Jonas Feys for help with TGA/DTA measurements.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. LumiLab, Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Nursen Avci, Philippe F. Smet & Dirk Poelman

  2. Defects in Semiconductors, Department of Solid State Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Johan Lauwaert & Henk Vrielinck

Authors
  1. Nursen Avci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philippe F. Smet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Johan Lauwaert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Henk Vrielinck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dirk Poelman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nursen Avci.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Avci, N., Smet, P.F., Lauwaert, J. et al. Optical and structural properties of aluminium oxide thin films prepared by a non-aqueous sol–gel technique. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 59, 327–333 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-011-2505-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-011-2505-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation