A Sol–Gel Driven Screen-Printing Approach for the Fabrication of TiO2 Film and Its Characterization

TiO2 is a multifaceted and economical material for its appropriateness in various technical and scientific areas, including optoelectronics, photoelectrodes, and photocatalysis. This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of TiO2 film deposited on a glass substrate by the sol–gel-driven screen-printing approach followed by sintering at 400°C. The fabricated TiO2 film was analyzed via electrical resistivity measurement, UV-visible (transmission) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction analysis exposed the emergence of a pure TiO2 anatase phase with a favored orientation along the (101) direction. Scanning electron microscopy exhibits the distribution of nano-sized particles on the entire surface, whereas energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy approves the composition of Ti and O elements. The film shows an absorption band edge around 380 nm in the transmission spectrum corresponding to the direct bandgap of 3.25 eV for TiO2. Electrical resistivity unveiled the semiconducting nature of the film, having a resistivity of ⁓105 Ω cm. This study suggests the fabrication of TiO2 film at a relatively low cost by a sol–gel-driven screen-printing approach for the potential use of these films in different technical and scientific areas.