Preparation of anatase TiO_2 thin films by vacuum arc plasma evaporation

摘要

Anatase titanium dioxide (TiO_2) thin films with high photocatalytic activity have been prepared with deposition rates as high as 16 nm/min by a newly developed vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) method using sintered TiO_2 pellets as the source material. Highly transparent TiO_2 thin films prepared at substrate temperatures from room temperature to 400℃ exhibited photocatalytic activity, regardless whether oxygen (O_2) gas was introduced during the VAPE deposition. The highest photocatalytic activity and photo-induced hydrophilicity were obtained in anatase TiO_2 thin films prepared at 300℃, which correlated to the best crystallinity of the films, as evidenced from X-ray diffraction. In addition, a transparent and conductive anatase TiO_2 thin film with a resistivity of 2.6 × 10~(-1) Ω cm was prepared at a substrate temperature of 400℃ without the introduction of O_2 gas.