Krasnoyarsk scientists have created a facility for synthesizing transparent oxide films with adjustable thickness. Owing to the design features, it is possible to synthesize chemical coatings on an inorganic basis faster and more efficiently than using most foreign analogues of the installation. The facility was developed as part of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation for the study of the thermoelectric properties of oxide nanostructured materials.

Thin-film thermoelectric materials which are capable of converting thermal energy which is, for example, lost during the operation of thermal power plants or boiler houses, into electrical energy, are a promising source of alternative energy. The Krasnoyarsk scientists are also involved in this field. The application of these materials depends on their properties, in particular, on the ability to conduct electricity and heat. At the same time, such films can be synthesized only on specialized, expensive equipment. Until recently, Russia has not produced such installations.

The scientists of the L.V. Kirensky Institute of Physics of the Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS created the first Russian installation for obtaining transparent conducting oxide thin films. The developed device has a number of features allowing one to accelerate the film production. The characteristics of the device is not inferior to its foreign counterparts, while it is many times cheaper.

The installation built by the Krasnoyarsk physicists uses one of the most inexpensive methods for producing thin films based on centrifugation. In the beginning, colloidal solutions are formed on the basis of polymer and nanoparticles of conducting oxides, for example, indium oxide or zinc oxide. Then, they are dosed onto a substrate and spun in a centrifuge. The rotation speed in this case can reach eight thousand revolutions per minute, while the time of continuous operation - several hours. By setting the time and rotation frequency, one can adjust the thickness of the resulting film.

It is noteworthy that all the elements of the developed installation were made in Russia. The device includes an embedded infrared oven which can heat the substrate up to two hundred degrees Celsius, which allows drying the resulting film without removing it from the installation. This significantly reduces the production time. Also, for more convenience, the installation has touch-sensitive control to monitor all the stages.

“The equipment we developed is intended for producing conducting film coatings. Such a synthesis requires a minimum of funds and time. Recently, we have been able to obtain homogeneous continuous films of a very high quality based on indium oxide. Now, finally, we can begin to study their properties. We are now also ready to offer our colleagues assistance in the development of such equipment, ” says the installation designer, Igor Tambasov, Candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, research associate at the L.V. Kirensky Institute of Physics KSC SB RAS.

The films obtained in this way can be used to create transparent thermoelectric converters, gas sensors, optoelectronic devices, and thin-film structures for OLED technologies.