Aging of nanocluster Ti/TiOx films prepared by means of gas aggregation cluster source

Nanocluster films composed of Ti and TiOx were prepared using a gas aggregation cluster source. The films were first characterized immediately after their preparation and afterwards were allowed to oxidize in air at room temperature for a given time to study their aging. Selected nanocluster films were annealed at 420 °C in air for 1 h. The prepared nanocluster films were studied by a variety of methods in order to fully characterize their properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to determine size of the clusters. Chemical composition of the films was determined by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Optical properties were studied using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis). Special attention was paid to the description of oxidation of the titanium nanoclusters and other changes in the films connected with aging.