Rapidly switched wettability of titania films deposited by dc magnetron sputtering

Rapid switching (5-15 minutes) in the wettability of titania (TiO2) thin films in the anatase phase has been observed after UV irradiation. The film surface becomes superhydrophilic when exposed to UV radiation. The relationship between wettability, thickness and crystallinity of TiO2 films has been investigated. Amorphous and anatase TiO2 thin films have been deposited by varying the argon to oxygen gas ratio, using the reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique. It was found that the gas ratio primarily affects thickness, crystallinity, morphology and wettability of the films. The highest contact angle that has been reported so far, namely, 170 degrees-176 degrees, has been observed for film thickness varying from 112-500 nm in the case of pristine anatase TiO2 films. On the other hand, amorphous films show a variation in the contact angle from 120 degrees to 140 degrees as the thickness varied from 70 to 145 nm. The deposition is extremely robust and has an ultralow hysteresis in the contact angle. The films exhibit a morphology similar to the lotus leaf and the water hyacinth.