Effects of oxygen concentration variation on the structural and optical properties of reactive sputtered WOx thin film

Tungsten oxide (WOx) has been widely investigated due to mainly its optoelectronic properties. This study primarily aimed to examine the influence of oxygen concentration on the structural and optical properties of WOx films. Herein, WOx thin films have been prepared by reactive sputtering method at low power (50 W) while controlling the Ar:O2 gas flow rate to vary oxygen concentration. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis reveals that the oxygen concentration depends on the gas flow rate. Such oxygen concentration changes affect the film’s thickness, confirmed by the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis ensures the dependency of surface roughness of the films on the oxygen concentration. The developed films exhibit the amorphous state as validated…