Solution Epitaxy of TiO[sub 2] Thin Films

Abstract

Epitaxial anatase TiO2 thin films were grown on (001)-oriented single-crystal SrTiO3 substrates by liquid-phase deposition at 150°C. The out-of-plane alignment of the film was found to be at least 1 order of magnitude better than many other anatase films grown at much higher temperatures. The films were very smooth and made of nanosized crystallites, formed by a repeated nucleation mechanism rather than the oriented-attachment mechanism. The films also exhibited very large dielectric dispersions, which were largely attributed to dipolar and interfacial polarizations of hydroxyl groups and water molecules. © 2009 The Electrochemical Society.