Influence of silane content on the optical properties of sol gel derived spin coated silica thin films

Sol gel technique in combination with spin coating method was utilized for the synthesis of silica thin films. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) alkoxide silane precursor was used for one step synthesis of silica sol with 0.1M HCL as catalyst. Casting solution of silica sol was spin coated on glass substrate. The X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that the sample possesses amorphous silica matrix. Thin films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-Visible spectroscopy techniques to compare the effect of TEOS concentration. The optical properties of the silica thin films revealed that thin films have 90-95% transmittance in the visible range.