Abstract
Structure and optical properties of amorphous semiconductor nanocomposite TiO2 films prepared by ion-plasma RF magnetron co-sputtering of a TiO2 and Ag target only in the argon atmosphere are studied. Matrix of TiO2 films is amorphous with inclusions of isolated 3–4 nm sized silver nanoparticles. The optical transmission spectra have a sharp edge of fundamental absorption band at ~ 300 nm, which is formed by direct and indirect allowed optical transitions. The band gap of the TiO2 films increases with the Ag concentration due to some ordering of the matrix. The absorption band is observed in the visible region of the spectrum due to the effect of local surface plasmon resonance absorption (LSPR) on silver nanoparticles. The LSPR intensity increases with the silver concentration, and the maximum of the absorption band, depending on the Ag concentration, is located in the region from 455 to 488 nm.