Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2026

Fabrication of Nano-engineered Transparent Conducting Oxides by Pulsed Laser Deposition
Published on: February 27, 2013
Near infrared photothermoelectric effect in transparent AZO/ITO/Ag/ITO thin films
C Bianchi1, A C Marques2, R C da Silva3
1CENIMAT/I3N, Department of Materials Science, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Largo da Torre, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal. cb.marques@campus.fct.unl.pt.
Abstract:
A new concept of oxide-metal-oxide structures that combine photothermoelectric effect with high reflectance (~ 80%) at wavelengths in the infrared (> 1100 nm) and high transmittance in the visible range is reported here. This was observed in optimized ITO/Ag/ITO structure, 20 nm of Silver (Ag) and 40 nm of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), deposited on Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) thin film. These layers show high energy saving efficiency by keeping the temperature constant inside a glazed compartment under solar radiation, but additionally they also show a photothermoelectric effect. Under uniform heating of the sample a thermoelectric effect is observed (S = 40 mV/K), but when irradiated, a potential proportional to the intensity of the radiation is also observed. Therefore, in addition to thermal control in windows, these low emission coatings can be applied as transparent photothermoelectric devices.
Related Concept Videos
Photoelectric Effect
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

