A Sol–Gel Driven Screen-Printing Approach for the Fabrication of TiO2 Film and Its Characterization

Abstract

TiO₂ is a multifaceted and economical material for its appropriateness in various technical and scientific areas, including optoelectronics, photoelectrodes, and photocatalysis. This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of TiO₂ film deposited on a glass substrate by the sol–gel-driven screen-printing approach followed by sintering at 400°C. The fabricated TiO₂ film was analyzed via electrical resistivity measurement, UV-visible (transmission) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction analysis exposed the emergence of a pure TiO₂ anatase phase with a favored orientation along the (101) direction. Scanning electron microscopy exhibits the distribution of nano-sized particles on the entire surface, whereas energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy approves the composition of Ti and O elements. The film shows an absorption band edge around 380 nm in the transmission spectrum corresponding to the direct bandgap of 3.25 eV for TiO₂. Electrical resistivity unveiled the semiconducting nature of the film, having a resistivity of ⁓10⁵ Ω cm. This study suggests the fabrication of TiO₂ film at a relatively low cost by a sol–gel-driven screen-printing approach for the potential use of these films in different technical and scientific areas.