Abstract:
Transparent titanium oxide thin films attract enormous attention from the scientific
community because of their prominent properties, such as low-cost, chemical stability, and optical
transparency in the visible region. In this study, we developed an easy and scalable solution-based
process for the deposition of transparent TiOx thin films on glass substrates. We showed
that the proposed method is also suitable for the fabrication of metal-doped TiOx thin films.
As proof-of-the-concept, europium Eu(III) ions were introduced into TiOx film. A photoluminescence
(PL) study revealed that Eu-doped TiOx thin films showed strong red luminescence associated with
5D0→7Fj relaxation transitions in Eu (III). We found that prepared TiOx thin films significantly reduce
the transmittance of destructive UV radiation; a feature that can be useful for the protection of
photovoltaic devices. In addition, transparent and luminescent TiOx thin films can be utilized for
potential security labeling.