TiO2 thin films on soda-lime and borosilicate glass prepared by sol-gel processing: Influence of the substrates

TiO2 films were deposited on soda-lime and borosilicate glass substrates, their optical and microstructural properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction showed significant differences between the sample series. Films deposited on the upper surface of soda-lime glass substrates showed higher indices of refraction than those prepared on the lower surface that had been in contact with the tin bath during float glass production. Results indicate that these differences not only result from different optical properties of the TiO2 backbone material due to alkali contamination but that also different film porosities can measured by ellipsometric porosimetry.