Influence of the Substrate Temperature on the Properties of Nb-doped TiO2 Films Deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1077.2012.00064

Abstract

Abstract:

Nb-doped (2.5wt%) TiO₂ thin films was deposited on glass substrate by DC magnetron sputtering from a ceramic target and the films thickness was controlled in the range from 300 nm to 350 nm. The structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the films deposited at different substrate temperatures were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and optical transmission spectroscope. The films deposited at 150℃, 250℃ and 350℃ were amorphous, anatase and rutile, respectively. The grain size of the typical anatase film deposited at 250℃ reached the maximum of 32 nm. The roughness of the films decreased and their density increased with the rising of substrate temperature. The average optical transmittance of films were around 70% when the substrate temperatures were below 250℃. As the substrate temperature were risen to 350℃, the films’ transmittance dropped to 59%. It indicated that the transmittance of visible light was hindered by the rutile phase in the Nd-doped TiO₂ films. The optical band gap of the films were in the range from 3.68 eV to 3.78 eV, and the optical band gap of the typical anatase film deposited at 250℃ reached the highest value of 3.78 eV.

Key words: substrate temperature, TiO₂, DC magnetron sputtering, ceramic target, structure, optical properties

CLC Number:

TQ174

HUANG Shuai, LI Chen-Hui, SUN Yi-Hua, KE Wen-Ming. Influence of the Substrate Temperature on the Properties of Nb-doped TiO₂ Films Deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2012, 27(1): 64-68.

Figures/Tables 6

Table 1 Sputtering rate of Nb-doped TiO2 films deposited at different substrate temperatures

Substrate temperature/℃	150	200	250	300	350
Sputtering rate/(nm·min^-1)	23.1	22.5	21.7	23.3	23.5

Fig. 1 XRD patterns of Nb-doped TiO2 films deposited at different substrate temperatures

Table 2 Grain size of films deposited at different substrate temperatures

Substrate temperature/℃	200	250	300	350
Grain size/nm	16	32	12	17

Fig. 2 Surface morphologies of Nb-doped TiO2 films deposited at different substrate temperatures

Fig. 3 Transmittance of Nb-doped TiO2 films deposited at different substrate temperatures

Fig. 4 Optical band gap of the films deposited at different substrate temperatures

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Influence of the Substrate Temperature on the Properties of Nb-doped TiO₂ Films Deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering

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