Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Electrochromic Properties of Nickel Oxide Thin Films by e-Beam Evaporation Method

Abstract

Nickel Oxide (NiO), an anodic coloring material, is used as a counter electrode layer in Electrochromic (EC) devices in combination with Tungsten Oxide (WO3) as an EC layer. The NiO thin films were prepared on glass and indium tin oxide coated glass substrates by e-beam evaporation technique at different substrate temperatures ranging from room temperature (27 􀁱C) to 400 􀁱C. The crystallization of the film improves with increase in substrate temperature as inferred from the glancing incident X-ray diffraction measurement. The increase in substrate temperature of the films causes an increase in the transmittance. The electrochromic properties of NiO thin films were investigated in an aqueous alkaline electrolyte (1M KOH) by means of transmittance, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronoamperometry (CA) measurements. It is found that films prepared at lower substrate temperature, up to 100 􀁱C, have better EC properties. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/35328