The influence of yttrium-ions on the optical and electrical behavior of PVA polymeric films

Abstract

The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films doped with various wt% of yttrium nitrate salt were synthesized by standard solution casting technique in order to examine the functional electrical and optical properties. The degree of the crystalline structure that evaluated in the films were investigated by x-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. In addition, the surface images have been obtained via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optical parameters have been calculated from UV–visible-NIR transmittance spectroscopy. Also, the dielectric constant measurement and the DC resistance that are arisen in the PVA films with different wt% of Y3+-ions have been done. All the samples show semi-crystalline phases. The average size, of the cluster Y3+-ions in the SEM images, increase to 1.63 μm for PVA/37 wt% Y3+-sample. Therefore, the optical absorption of this sample is higher than the others. The value of the energy gap decrease from 5.11 eV to 4.47 eV for PVA/0.037 wt% Y3+ and PVA/37 wt% Y3+-samples, respectively. The nonlinear current—voltage behavior, at high applied voltage, of the polymeric films, is observed with different values of slope, which is a characteristic of the varistor materials. So, these films could be used in different applications like optoelectronic and varistor devices.