Synthesis and photoluminescence property of nanostructured sol–gel indium tin oxide film on glass

Sol–gel dip coated indium tin oxide film of In:Sn = 90:10 was prepared on glass at 350 °C from aqueous precursor. Nanostructured feature and cubic phase of the film were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies, respectively. Average cluster of 4.7 nm diameter was measured by the transmission electron microscopy and it is near to Bohr radius of In2O3. The evaluated bandgap of the nanocluster (Eg = 4.0 eV) is consistent with the absorption band appearing for quantum confinement. The confinement phenomenon resulted in photoluminescence (PL) when excited at different photoluminescence excitation wavelengths. The PL bands have been identified as the emissions of bound and free excitons.