Infrared Refractive Index and Extinction Coefficient of Polyimide Films

We have measured the transmittance of several polyimide (C₂₂H₁₀N₂O₄) films at wave numbers from 6000 to 500 cm^–1 (wavelengths from 1.67 to 20 m) using a Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. The free-standing polyimide films are made by spin coating and thermal curing processes. The thickness of the films ranges from 0.1 to 4 m. In the nonabsorbing region from 6000 to 4000 cm^–1, the minimum transmittance caused by interference is used to obtain the refractive index for film thicknesses greater than 1 m. The film thicknesses are determined by fitting the spectral transmittance using the refractive index. Molecular absorption strongly reduces the transmittance at wave numbers from 2000 to 500 cm^–1. The optical constants, i.e., the refractive index and the extinction coefficient, are determined from the measured transmittance for several films of different thickness using a least-squares method. A Lorentzian oscillator model is also developed, which in general agrees well with the measured transmittance at wave numbers from 6000 to 500 cm^–1. This study will facilitate the application of polyimide films in the fabrication of infrared filters and other optoelectronic applications. The methods presented in this paper can be used to determine the optical constants of other types of thin-film materials.     

Optical properties of manganese films

The optical properties of thin manganese films in the thickness range 40 to 1200 nm are reported for UV, visible end near infrared regions. The reflectance and absorbance of annealed and unannealed manganese films is measured from film side and substrate side, in the wavelength range 190 to 900 no and for normal incidence of light. These measurements are used to calculate the refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), and the imaginary part of the dielectric constant ().     

Dielectric modeling of transmittance spectra of thin ZnO:Al films

A dielectric model comprising band gap transitions and free electron excitations (Drude model) is successfully applied to simulate transmittance spectra of ZnO films doped with 0.5%, 1% and 2% Al. The Drude formula contains a frequency-dependent damping term in order to get a good fit in the visible spectral region. Useful physical parameters obtained from the fit are electron density and mobility within the grains, film thickness, band gap and refractive index. The optically determined film thickness agrees with that obtained with the stylus method within 2%. The optically determined electronic parameters are compared with those obtained by electrical measurements. Contrary to thin In₂O₃:Sn films, the Drude mobility inside the grains is similar to the direct current Hall mobility indicating more perfect film growth without forming pronounced grain boundaries. Maximum value is 35 cm²/V s. The effective electron mass is estimated to be about 0.6 of the free electron mass. The refractive index at 550 nm decreases with increasing electron density.     

Interpretation of reflection and transmission spectra for thin films: transmission

The optical behavior of a thin film, that is, peak positions and intensities, is discussed for transmission under a thin-film approximation. The infrared transmission spectra of thin films, both standing films and those on dielectric substrates, are simulated for s and p polarization at various angles of incidence. For spectral simulation, the matrix method is used in conjunction with noise-free complex refractive indices based on the dispersion theory. The peak positions in the simulated spectra are compared with transverse optic and longitudinal optic frequencies based on the macroscopic theory. The simulated peak intensities for the standing films are compared with the prediction based on the thin-film approximation. Furthermore, it is found from the spectral simulation for thin films on dielectric substrates that the peak intensity for a thin film may depend on the thickness and refractive index of the substrate.     

Spatial spectral evolution in pulsed laser deposited lead-germanate thin films by micro-infrared spectroscopy

Lead-germanate thin films were developed on silicon substrates by pulsed laser deposition from bulk glassy targets of composition 0.4PbO-0.6GeO₂, and micro-infrared transmittance measurements were performed to assess the state of the grown films. Measurements across the radius of films revealed surprisingly large spectral changes, reminiscent of lead-oxide variations in corresponding bulk glasses. To search for the origin of this effect, the infrared spectra were simulated by employing the rigorous expression for the transmittance of a bilayer system to take into full account multiple internal reflections in both thin film and substrate. The results showed that the profiles of the experimental spectra can be accurately described by using as input the complex refractive index of the target glassy material and by considering film thickness variations from the center to the edges of the film. This work demonstrates the strong influence of optical effects on the infrared spectra of thin films, and manifests also the effectiveness of infrared spectroscopy when coupled with rigorous calculations to characterize the structure of thin films.     

Structural and optical properties of Ag2SeTe nano thin films prepared by thermal evaporation

Semiconducting Ag₂SeTe thin films were prepared with different thicknesses onto glass substrates at room temperature using thermal evaporation technique. The structural properties were determined as a function of thickness by XRD exhibiting no preferential orientation along any plane, however the films are found to have peaks corresponding to mixed phase. The XRD studies were used to calculate the crystallite size and microstrain of the Ag₂SeTe films. The calculated microstructure parameters reveal that the crystallite size increases and micro strain decreases with increasing film thickness. The refractive index, dielectric constants and thereby the optical bandgap of the films were calculated from transmittance spectral data recorded in the range 400?C1200 nm by UV?CVIS-Spectrometer. The direct optical bandgap of the Ag₂SeTe thin films deposited on glass substrates with different thicknesses 50?C230 nm were found to be in the range 1.48?C1.59 eV. The carrier density value is estimated to be around 9.8 × 10²¹ cm^?1 for the film thickness of 150 nm. The compositions estimated from the optical band gap studies reveal a value of 0.75 for Tellurium concentration. These structural and optical parameters are found to be very sensitive to the thin film thickness.     

Evolution of optical properties with deposition time of silicon nitride and diamond-like carbon films deposited by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method

The paper presents investigations of the optical properties of thin high-refractive-index silicon nitride (SiN_x) and diamond-like carbon (DLC) films deposited by the radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method for applications in tuning the functional properties of optical devices working in the infrared spectral range, e.g., optical sensors, filters or resonators. The deposition technique offers the ability to control the film's optical properties and thickness on the nanometer scale. We obtained thin, high-refractive-index films of both types at deposition temperatures below 350 °C, which is acceptable under the thermal budget of most optical devices. In the case of SiN_x films, it was found that for short deposition processes (up to 5 min long) the refractive index of the film increases in parallel with its thickness (up to 50 nm), while for longer processes the refractive index becomes almost constant. For DLC films, the effect of refractive index increase was observed up to 220 nm in film thickness.     

Characterization of CuInGeSe<Subscript>4</Subscript> thin films and Al/n–Si/p–CuInGeSe<Subscript>4</Subscript>/Au heterojunction device

CuInGeSe₄ thin films of various thicknesses were prepared on a glass substrate by thermal evaporation followed by selenization at 700 K. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis shows that the CuInGeSe₄ thin films are near stoichiometric. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the as-deposited CuInGeSe₄ thin films are amorphous, while the CuInGeSe₄ thin films annealed at 700 K are polycrystalline with the chalcopyrite phase. The structure of the films was further investigated by transmission electron microscopy and diffraction, with the results verifying the X-ray diffraction data. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy images show well-defined grains that are nearly similar in size. The surface roughness increases with film thickness, as confirmed by atomic force microscopy. The optical transmission and reflection spectra of the CuInGeSe₄ thin films were recorded over the wavelength range of 400–2500 nm. The variation of the optical parameters of the CuInGeSe₄ thin films, such as the refractive index n and the optical band gap E_g, as a function of the film thickness was determined. The value of E_g decreases with increasing film thickness. For the studied films, n were estimated from the Swanoepl’s method and were found to increase with increasing film thickness as well as follow the two-term Cauchy dispersion relation. A heterojunction with the configuration Al/n–Si/p–CuInGeSe₄/Au was fabricated. The built-in voltage and the carrier concentration of the heterojunction was determined from the capacitance–voltage measurements at 1 MHz and were found to be 0.61 V and 3.72?×?10¹⁷ cm^?3, respectively. Under 1000 W/m² solar simulator illumination, the heterojunction achieved a conversion efficiency of 2.83%.     

Refractive index of polycrystalline submicrometer polymer thin films: Thickness dependence

Dielectric films used in insulating applications are becoming consistently thinner, hence the thickness of thin and ultathin films is an important design parameter. There exists a need for characterizing and understanding the thickness dependence of properties of films. The refractive index for low dielectric polytetrafluoroethylene crystalline submicrometer thin films is investigated by using an optical spectrometer coupled with a hot stage to monitor their thickness-dependent behavior. It is demonstrated that the refractive index has a strong dependence on film thickness, which can be related to the microstructure and morphology of the film as characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.     

Determination of the optical constants of As–Se–Ag chalcogenide thick films with high precision for optoelectronics applications

Thin films of (As₅₀Se₅₀)_100?xAg_x (with 0?≤?x?≤?25 s) metal-chalcogenide glasses were deposited onto glass substrates by thermal evaporation technique under high vacuum (10^?6 mbar). The optical constants as well as the average thickness of the studied films are determined by the Swanepoel envelope method which is based on the optical transmission spectra measured in the spectral range 300–2500 nm. This method enables the transformation of the optical-transmission spectrum of a thin film of wedge-shaped thickness into the spectrum of a uniform film, whose thickness is equal to the average thickness of the non-uniform layer. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed in terms of the Wemple–DiDomenico single-oscillator model. The optical absorption edge is described using the non-direct transition model proposed by Tauc relation. Analysis of the optical data revealed that an addition of Ag in the range from 0 to 25 at.% to the (As₅₀Se₅₀)_100?x binary alloys affected the optical parameters of the investigated thin films. For instance, the optical band gap decreased from 1.661 to 1.441 eV with increasing the Ag content from 0 to 25 at.%. The results were discussed in terms of Mott and Davis model as well as chemical-bond approach.