Characterization of microstructural, mechanical and optical properties of TiO 2 layers deposited by GIMS and PMS methods

• The rutile TiO2 is formed on the unheated substrate.
• Applying GIMS method leads to the reduction of the particle kinetic energy dissipation.
• The phase composition can be controlled by using PMS/GIMS method and specific gas conditions.
• High hardness of TiO2 (18 GPa) can be attributed to small rutile nanograins (~ 5.5 nm).

This paper describes the influence of the kinetic energy preservation of gas phase particles in coating growing. The model material (TiO 2) was synthesized applying two techniques: pulsed magnetron sputtering and, lately developed, gas injection magnetron sputtering. The two deposition methods have allowed the production of coatings in two completely different gas conditions in the vacuum chamber. The phase composition, microstructural, mechanical and optical properties of titanium dioxide coatings are examined by means of atomic force microscopy, confocal optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nanoindentation, spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmittance measurements. The obtained results and performed analysis clearly demonstrate that applying specific gas conditions in the vacuum chamber leads to reduction of gas-phase mutual particle collisions probability, therefore the omission of the bias polarization and/or substrate heating is allowed.