Tunable optical properties of plasmonic Au/Al₂O₃nanocomposite thin films analyzed by spectroscopic ellipsometry accounting surface characteristics

Abstract

In the present work, we have fabricated plasmonic gold/alumina nanocomposite (Au/Al₂O₃ NC) thin films on a glass substrate at room temperature by RF magnetron co-sputtering. The influence of the film thickness (∼10-40 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 Al₂O₃ matrix. The energy-dispersive X ray and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirmed the formation of Au/Al₂O₃ NC quantitatively and qualitatively and it was observed that atomic% of Au increased by increasing thickness. The optical constants of the plasmonic Au/Al₂O₃ 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 Au/Al₂O₃ NC films may allow the design and fabrication of small, compact, and efficient devices for optoelectronic and photonic applications.