Multiphase titanium suboxides films grown on glass substrate: Surface energy, wettability and morphology analysis

Abstract

Thin films of titanium suboxides were deposited through grid-assisted magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at different temperatures (room, 373 K, 473 K, 573 K and 673 K). The physical, chemical and morphological properties of the samples were measured by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. GIXRD and XPS results indicate a miscellaneous of suboxides (TiOx) growing on substrate at temperatures of 473 K, 573 K and 673 K. Contact angle analyses show significant increase in surface energy after irradiation of the films with UV light. Results allow us to conclude that multiphase TiOx films present photoinduced hydrophilicity, and may be employed in photocatalysis and self-cleaning applications, similarly to stoichiometric TiO2.