Role of ceramic matrix and Au fraction on the morphology and optical properties of cosputtered Au-ceramic thin films

Abstract

Surface sensitive x-ray scattering studies were carried out to understand the morphology of cermet thin films prepared by cosputtering metallic gold and ceramic materials on float glass substrates. It has been observed that the morphology of Au clusters in cermet thin films depends strongly on the matrix during growth, even if, all other conditions are kept identical. In particular, nearly isotropic growth of Au clusters, to form nanoparticles, is found in silica and alumina matrices, while anisotropic columnar-like growth of Au clusters, to form a nanorod-like shape, is found in a titanium oxide matrix. Thickness of the films was also found very different, which is likely to be related to the different sputtering yields of the ceramic materials. The volume fraction of Au estimated from the electron density profile shows that the total volume or the amount of Au is different in films of different ceramic matrices. This suggests that even the sputtering yield of Au is very different in the presence of different ceramic atmosphere, which is likely to be responsible for having a different morphology of Au clusters in different matrices. Optical absorption spectra of the films, on the other hand, show linear dependence of the absorption peak position with the volume fraction of Au and independent of both the ceramic matrix and morphology of Au clusters.