Abstract
In view of developing new materials with enhanced properties, such as nanocomposite (NC) thin films, special interest has been given in optimizing the deposition processes themselves. The latter, if well selected, could give the freedom to control the NCs synthesis and final properties. Attempting to overcome severe challenges observed when creating NC or oxide-based NC film, hybrid approaches combining injection of colloidal solutions and plasma processes have been proposed. This review focuses on oxide-based NCs, using as an example the TiO2 NPs and SiO2 matrix as NCs, while investigating their optical and dielectric properties. Additionally, this review presents the state-of-the-art in processes for the preparation of the NCs. The major categories of hybrid approaches coupling sol–gel and plasma processes are given. Finally, a comparative study among the published works is provided, aiming in highlighting the impact that each approach has on the physical and chemical characteristics of the produced NCs.
Highlights
Nanocomposites and nanostructured materials have gained the attention, as the properties of the resulting composite are likely to differ from the original bulk ones [1]
Several attempts have been published over the past ten years aiming in the deposition of either nanoparticles only or nanocomposite thin films using hybrid approaches
This group attempted the deposition of TiO2 NPs only or nanocomposite thin films through various approaches such as dissolving the NPs inside the hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) liquid and injecting it in the system or in a twostep approach injecting first the colloidal solution of NPs and second the SiO2 matrix
Summary
Nanocomposites and nanostructured materials have gained the attention, as the properties of the resulting composite are likely to differ from the original bulk ones [1]. Given the different properties that the nanoparticles can have compared to the bulk materials, we gathered in this paragraph the effect of nanostructuration on the optoelectronic properties: band gap, dielectric constant, optical index, and how they can be adjusted by preparing NC It is well known and often observed experimentally that when the diameter of the crystallite of a semiconductor (SC) particle falls below a critical radius of about 10 nm, charge carrier behave quantum mechanically. Using Bruggeman effective medium approximation, it was possible to show the modulation of the refractive index (from 2.08 to 1.44 at λ = 633 nm), by varying the composition of the NC or its thickness (layered deposition with dip casting) Based on these findings, the ability to choose the nature of the nanoparticles and more importantly their filling factor and size in the matrix is of great interest, as both the electrical and optical characteristics of the nanocomposite can be tuned in a controlled manner
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