Photochromic Response of Encapsulated Oxygen‐Containing Yttrium Hydride Thin Films. Issue 6 (4th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Moro, Marcos V.; Aðalsteinsson, Sigurbjörn M.; Tran, Tuan. T.; Moldarev, Dmitrii; Samanta, Ayan; Wolff, Max; Primetzhofer, Daniel
• Is Part Of: Physica status solidi. Volume 15:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-04-04
• Subjects: diffusion barriers -- oxygen-containing yttrium hydride -- photochromism; Solid state physics -- Periodicals; 530.4105
• DOI: 10.1002/pssr.202000608
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1862-6254

Abstract

Abstract : Photochromic oxygen‐containing yttrium‐hydride thin films are synthesized by argon magnetron sputtering on microscope slides. Some of them are encapsulated with a thin, transparent, and nonphotochromic diffusion‐barrier layer of either Al2 O3 or Si3 N4 . Ion‐beam‐based methods prove that these protective diffusion barriers are stable and free from pinholes, with thicknesses of only a few tens of nanometers. Optical spectrophotometry reveals that the photochromic response and relaxation time for both protected and unprotected samples are almost identical. Ageing effects in the unprotected films lead to degradation of the photochromic performance (self‐delamination), whereas the photochromic response for the encapsulated films is stable. The results show that the environment does not play a decisive role for the photochromic process and the encapsulation of oxygen‐containing rare‐earth hydride films with transparent and nonorganic thin diffusion‐barrier layers provides long‐time stability of the films, mandatory for applications as photochromic coatings on, e.g., smart windows. Abstract : Photochromic oxygen‐containing yttrium‐hydride thin films are capped with thin, transparent, and nonphotochromic layers acting as diffusion‐barriers. It is shown that the environment does not play a decisive role in the photochromism, and encapsulation of these samples with transparent and inorganic thin diffusion‐barrier layers provides long‐time stability of the films, mandatory for applications as photochromic coatings on, e.g., smart windows.