Variation of the structural and optical properties of sol–gel TiO2 thin films with different treatment temperatures

Structural and optical properties of TiO2 thin films prepared using a sol–gel process have been examined at different treatment temperatures and for different layer counts. XRD and Raman analyzes of our thin films of TiO2 show that 3 layer films crystallize in anatase and brookite phases, starting from the temperature of annealing 350 °C. The grain size calculated from XRD patterns varies from 6.7 to 23.5 nm. Refractive index and porosity are found to vary with treatment temperature and number of dippings. Our films, irrespective of treatment temperature and number of dippings, are transparent in the visible range and opaque in the UV region. To cite this article: R. Mechiakh, R. Bensaha, C. R. Physique 7 (2006).