Study on fabrication of titanium oxide films by oxygen pressure controlled pulsed laser deposition

Abstract

Titanium oxide films were formed using a titanium target by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique under different oxygen pressures from 10 -6 to 100 Pa. Their densities and thickness were evaluated from total external X-ray reflection profiles and their atomic structures were determined by grazing incidence X-ray scattering (GIXS), and their surface morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The atomic structures of the films were gradually changed from metal titanium through TiO to Rutile-type titanium dioxide TiO2. The film surfaces became rough above 13.3 Pa oxygen pressure during deposition. Their UV transmission spectroscopy was also observed to predict their photocatalytic activities.