Optical Absorption of Sol-Gel Derived ZnO/TiO₂ Nanocomposite Films

ZnO/TiO₂ nanocomposite films on quartz substrates were prepared by the sol-gel method, and the corresponding optical absorption properties were investigated. In the ultraviolet region, it was found that the position of fundamental absorption edge partially depends on the composition of the ZnO/TiO₂ films, and shifts toward a shorter wavelength with the increasing content of ZnO in the films. Moreover, a blueshift of the absorption edge resulted from a quantum size effect and the quantum confinement effect was observed in the ZnO/TiO₂ system.