Photoactivated properties of TiO₂ films prepared by magnetron sputtering

This article reports on photoactivity of sputtered TiO₂ films induced by UV irradiation. TiO₂ films were prepared by dc pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering using a dual magnetron operated in bipolar mode and equipped with Ti targets. The photoactivity of TiO₂ films, characterized by the water droplet contact angle (WDCA) on the film surface after UV irradiation, was evaluated and discussed in detail. The structure of TiO₂ film was measured using X-ray diffraction and surface morphology using AFM. A sharp decrease in WDCA to ∼10° has been observed for optimal sputtering conditions. Possibility of low-temperature sputtering (<90°) of photoactive TiO₂ films on heat sensitive substrates has been introduced.