Electrical investigation of TiO2 thin films coated on glass and silicon substrates—effect of UV and visible light illumination

Abstract

The conducting nature of nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film coated on glass and silicon (Si) substrates was studied in detail. The films were prepared through sol–gel spin-coating method with variation in coating parameters viz, the thickness of the film and the post annealing temperature. The thickness of the films was measured using Stylus profilometer. The resistivity of the film, as a function of film thickness, under the illumination of UV, visible light, and dark conditions was found using the four-probe method. The results show that the resistivity of the film decreases with increase in thickness of the film. The decrease in resistivity of the film is attributed to increase in cross-sectional area and rearrangement and removal of defects. Illumination of the samples under visible and UV light further decreases the resistivity of the film. The electrical resistivity of TiO2 film coated on Si substrate was observed to be lesser than that of the glass substrate.