STRUCTURAL, MORPHOLOGICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE THIN FILMS BASED ON SILVER-SILICA MATERIALS

Silver-silica materials were prepared by acid-catalyzed sol-gel process and placed onto glass substrates in order to realize thin films. The structural, morphological and optical properties of obtained materials were characterized through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis. FTIR spectra indicated that the silver-silica materials have been successfully modified with organofunctional groups. It was found that the thin films exhibited anti-reflective performance (similar to 10%). The UV-visible spectra of all thin films reveal that these coatings were transparent. The presence of the band recorded at similar to 400 nm indicated the successful formation of silver nanoparticles within the silica thin films. AFM results showed that the surface morphology can be changed as function of AgNO3 solution added during the formation of silica matrix. The final materials could be used for improving the efficiency of the solar cell.