Effect of nickel oxide seed layers on annealed-amorphous titanium oxide thin films prepared using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

The effect of a nickel oxide (NiOx) seed layer on the crystallization and photocatalytic activity of the sequentially plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited amorphous titanium oxide (TiOx) thin film processed by a post-annealing process was investigated. The evolution of the crystalline structures, chemical bond configurations, and surface/cross-sectional morphologies of the annealed TiOx films, with and without a NiOx seed layer, was examined using X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscope measurements. Thermo- and photo-induced hydrophilicity was determined by measuring the contact angle of water droplet. Photocatalytic activity after UV light irradiation was evaluated from the decolorization of a methylene blue solution. The crystallization temperature of the TiOx film, deposited on a NiOx seed layer, was found to be lower than that of a pure TiOx film, further improving the thermo- and photo-induced surface super-hydrophilicity. The TiOx film deposited onto the NiOx seed layer, resulting in significant cluster boundaries, showed a rough surface morphology and proved to alleviate the anatase crystal growth by increasing the post-annealing temperature, which yielded a more active surface area and prohibited the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. The photocatalytic activity of the NiOx/TiOx system with such a textured surface therefore was enhanced and optimized through an adequate post-annealing process.