Effect of annealing temperature on the optical properties of Sb-ZnO thin films prepared using co-sputtering technique

Transparent conducting oxide thin films of Sb-ZnO were prepared on optically flat quartz by radio-frequency (RF) sputtering method. The scan electron microscope was used to characterize the topological morphology of the surface of the as-prepared and annealed films at (300, 400, 470, and 525°C) for 4 h in air. The optical properties of the films were deliberated using their reflectance and transmittance spectra at normal incident light. The optical energy band gap energy (Eop ) values were found to increase by elevating the annealing temperatures. The dispersion curves of the refractive index of Sb-ZnOthin films were found to follow the single oscillator model. Optical parameters such as refractive index, real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant, and optical conductivity were investigated.   Key word: Sputtering, thin film, Sb-ZnO, optical gap, refractive index.