Influence of gas carrier on morphological and optical properties of nanostructured In2O3 grown by solid-vapour process

Nanostructured indium oxide (In2O3) thin film was prepared by solid-vapour deposition method under NH3 and Ar atmosphere. The influence of gas nature on the growth of In2O3 thin film was investigated in terms of structure, morphology and optical properties. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence analyses indicated the formation of pure In2O3 phase with strong preferred orientation along c-axis, from cubic- to needles-like morphologies. The as-fabricated nanostructured In2O3 thin films with tailored morphology, enhanced crystallinity and optical quality can be used for gas sensing, solar cells and other potential applications. In addition, the potential use of NH3 as carrier gas for an efficient control of morphology/size and optical properties can be proposed for the fabrication of other nanostructured oxides.