Tuning of the structural and electrical properties of thermo-luminescent tungsten-doped indium oxide thin film

Abstract

This paper aims to synthesize tungsten-doped indium oxide thin film and to study its properties. Films with different tungsten dopant concentrations were deposited using the technique of spray pyrolysis. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the structural features. It confirms the polycrystalline cubic structure of W-doped indium oxide. The morphological change observed with doping supports the preferred plane orientation change. Optical properties were studied using UV-visible spectroscopy. The photoluminescence spectra showed both near-band emission (NBE) and violet-blue emission. The suitability of the material for gamma sensing applications was confirmed by thermoluminescence (TL) spectroscopy. The binding energy obtained from the core XPS spectra of W corresponds to a 6+ oxidation state. The electrical resistivity decreased with tungsten doping and it is attributed to the increase in donor electrons. Indium oxide doped with 2 at% W has good structural, optical, and electrical characteristics that make it suitable for use in sensor applications.