Influence of annealing on the structure and stoichiometry of europium-doped titanium dioxide thin films

This work presents the influence of annealing on the structure and stoichiometry of europium (Eu)-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2). Thin films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering from a metallic Ti–Eu target in oxygen atmosphere and deposited on silicon and SiO2 substrates. After deposition the selected samples were additionally annealed in air up to 1070 K.Film properties were examined by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the results were analyzed together with the undoped TiO2 thin films prepared under similar technological conditions.XRD results showed that depending on the Eu content, as-deposited thin films consisted of the TiO2-anatase or TiO2-rutile.An additional annealing will result in the growth of anatase crystals up to 35 nm, but anatase to rutile phase transformation has not been recorded. AFM images display high quality and a dense nanocrystalline structure. From the XPS Ti2p spectra the 4+oxidation state of Ti was confirmed. The O1s XPS spectra displayed the presence of an O2− photoelectron peak accompanied by an additional broader peak that originates from hydroxyl species chemisorbed at the sample surface. It has been found that Eu dopant increases the OH− content on the surface of prepared TiO2:Eu thin films. The calculated O/Ti ratio was in the range of 1.85–2.04 depending on the sample.