The plasmon enhancement of carbon dots (CDs) photoluminescence (PL) in thin-film structures with metal nanoparticles is of interest in their practical applications in sensors and light-emitters. This paper investigates CDs in the thin-film structures with nanogranulated silver films with different thickness. CDs in an aqueous solution were precipitated by spin-coating over the surface of annealed Ag films coated previously by a polymer layer. The IR, optical density and PL spectra of free-CDs and in thin-film structures with Ag films were studied. The PL intensity enhancement of CDs was demonstrated in the thin-film structures with Ag films due to absorption cross-section enhancement and the action of the Purcell effect. The improvement of thin-film structures producing technology will contribute to PL enhancement of CDs and the development of new thin-film sensors, light-emitters and other devices on their base.

Silicon dioxide thin films are a promising alternative to protective glass in solar cells. In this work, one-layer and four-layer thin films of a perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) were spin-coated from solution in dibutyl ether and cured by exposure to moderate temperatures or ultraviolet (UV) light to obtain glassy SiO x layers. Optical and morphological properties as well as their long-term stability were studied using XPS, FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and SEM microscopy with EDX analysis. The results showed that the process of converting PHPS layers to SiO x continues after the completion of the curing procedure for both methods. However, the composition of the thermally cured films is similar to silicon oxide, while the UV-cured samples demonstrate a composition similar to silicon dioxide due to differences in the reactions occurring during the curing process. The prolonged transformation process opens up possibilities for creating self-improving protective coatings based on PHPS.