Characterization and nuclear shielding performance of Sm doped In₂O₃ thin films

The widespread use of nuclear technology has increased interest in the concept of radiation shielding. Therefore, thin films are one of the applications of interest in both science and industry used in various applications such as laboratory equipment, optoelectronic materials, and radiation shielding materials. The present work synthesized pure indium oxide (In2O3) and samarium (Sm) doped In 2 O 3 thin films by the spray pyrolysis method. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Uv–vis spectrometer. The cubic crystalline form of synthesized In 2 O 3 thin film was observed from the X-ray pattern. By introducing the Sm element, the crystalline peaks of In 2 O 3 gradually decreased with increasing doping concentration. The experimental linear attenuation coefficients (μ) of different percentages (0, 5, 10, and 20%) Sm doped In 2 O 3 thin films have been determined using 6 MeV energized X-ray via VARIAN® and PTW® ion chamber. Accordingly, some terms important in shielding were calculated using μ. The obtained results from these measurements can help understand the radiation shielding performance of In 2 O 3 : Sm thin films. • The impact of (0, 5, 10 and 20%) Sm element on In 2 O 3 thin films have been investigated. • The optical, structural and shielding properties of these thin films have been investigated. • The linear attenuation value increased as the Samarium contribution increased. • Mass attenuation, half and tenth value layer, mean free path values have been obtained. • The effective atomic number and effective electron density have been obtained.