Highly ordered and hydrophobic zinc oxide thin films have been synthesized by dc magnetron sputtering on the glass substrates at room temperature (RT). We have determined the influence of deposition parameters on the optical and other physical properties of the films, and the correlation between their microstructural and optical properties. Films have preferred (002) orientation, an average crystallite size ≤26 nm, and rms surface roughness ≤14 nm. The water contact angle of 120° exceeds previous measurements by over 10°–20°. Dispersion of the refractive index is analyzed in terms of the Wemple-DiDomenical single-oscillator model, and the third-order nonlinear optical parameters are calculated using the Tichy and Ticha relation. Refractive indices of 1.9686 at 540 nm are near the bulk value of 2.0041. Produced at RT, these highly ordered films may be promising candidates for compact optoelectronic devices.

In the present work, optically thick nanostructured titanium (Ti) films of thickness ranging from $\sim 100$ to 900 nm were deposited on a glass substrate by DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature. Microstructural and surface properties of the samples were studied by x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The morphological results revealed a systematic normal grain growth mechanism with increasing thickness analyzed by a scanning electron microscope. The influence of thickness on film surface roughness has been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical dispersion behavior was examined by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) over the long wavelength range of 246–1688 nm. The experimentally observed SE parameters were theoretically fitted with Drude–Lorentz and Bruggeman effective medium approximation theory. The surface properties of the Ti film measured by XPS and AFM were further accounted for in the optical model to determine optical constants ($n$ and $k$) and the obtained results are expected to be the best available for bulk Ti metal.

In this work, we have reported the in-situ fabrication of nanocrystalline rhombohedral silicon carbide (15R-SiC) thin films by RF-magnetron sputtering at 800 °C substrate temperature. The structural and optical properties were investigated for the films grown on four different substrates (ZrO₂, MgO, SiC, and Si). The contact angle measurement was performed on all the substrates to investigate the role of interfacial surface energy in nucleation and growth of the films. The XRD measurement revealed the growth of (1 0 10) orientation for all the samples and demonstrated better crystallinity on Si substrate, which was further corroborated by the TEM results. The Raman spectroscopy confirmed the growth of rhombohedral phase with 15R polytype. Surface characteristics of the films have been investigated by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, FTIR, and atomic force microscope (AFM) to account for chemical composition, bonding, and root mean square surface roughness (δ_rms). The optical dispersion behavior of 15R-SiC thin films was examined by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry in the wide spectral range (246–1688 nm), including the surface characteristics in the optical model. The non-linear optical parameters (χ³ and n₂) of the samples have been calculated by the Tichy and Ticha relation using a single effective oscillator model of Wemple and Didomenico. Additionally, our optical results provided an alternative way to measure the ratio of carrier concentration to the effective mass (N/m*). These investigated optical parameters allow one to design and fabricate optoelectronic, photonic, and telecommunication devices for deployment in extreme environment.

In the present work, we have fabricated plasmonic gold/alumina nanocomposite ($\mathrm{Au}/{\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ NC) thin films on a glass substrate at room temperature by RF magnetron co-sputtering. The influence of the film thickness ($\sim 10–40\mathrm{nm}$) on the optical and other physical properties of the samples was investigated and correlated with the structural and compositional properties. The X-ray diffractometer measurement revealed the formation of Au nanoparticles with average crystallite size (5–9.2 nm) embedded in an amorphous ${\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ matrix. The energy-dispersive X ray and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirmed the formation of $\mathrm{Au}/{\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ NC quantitatively and qualitatively and it was observed that atomic% of Au increased by increasing thickness. The optical constants of the plasmonic $\mathrm{Au}/{\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ NC thin films were examined by variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry in the wide spectral range of 246–1688 nm, accounting the surface characteristics in the optical stack model, and the obtained results are expected to be unique. Additionally, a thickness-dependent blueshift (631–590 nm) of surface plasmon resonance peak was observed in the absorption spectra. These findings of the plasmonic $\mathrm{Au}/{\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$ NC films may allow the design and fabrication of small, compact, and efficient devices for optoelectronic and photonic applications.