Ambient temperature growth of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide thin films

Nanocrystalline titania thin films have been deposited at ambient temperature by Dc magnetron sputtering. The crystallite size in the films varies between 25 and 50 nm as calculated from the X-ray diffraction patterns and is dependent on both oxygen pressure as well as thickness of the films. Significantly even at 100% oxygen in the sputtering gas, films of thickness of the order of 500 nm have been grown starting from the metallic Ti target. Optical constants of the films are strongly dependent on process parameters Atomic force microscopy images indicate that the crystallites form large triangular grains of the order of 70-100 nm.