Synthesis of Bi2O3 and Bi-4(SiO4)(3) thin films by the sol-gel method

Bi2O3 thin films were prepared by dipping silica slides in ethanolic soluti ons of tris(2,2'-6,6'-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionato)bismuth(I [Bi(dpm)(3)] [1] and heating in air at temperatures less than or equal to 500 degrees C . Bi-4(SiO4)(3) homogeneous thin films were obtained from the reaction of t he bismuth oxide coating with the silica glass substrate at temperatures hi gher than 700 degrees C. For heat treatments at temperatures between 600 de grees C and 700 degrees C, Bi2SiO5 coatings were obtained. The composition and microstructure evolution of the films were determined by Secondary Ion- Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Glanci ng Angle X-Ray Diffraction (GA-XRD). The synthesis procedure was reproducib le and allowed the control of the Bi2O3 phase composition. Moreover, the th in film annealing parameters were correlated with the formation of bismuth silicates, among which Bi-4(SiO4)(3) (BSO) is very appealing for the produc tion of fast light-output scintillators [2].