DC reactive magnetron sputtering with Ar ion-beam assistance for titanium oxide films

Titanium oxide thin films were deposited by DC reactive magnetron sputtering with Ar ion-beam assistance at low oxygen partial pressure and long target-to-substrate distance. The optical and structural properties of them were investigated by the measurement of transmittance and reflectance, atomic force microscope, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the Ar ion-beam-assisted DC reactive magnetron sputtering for titanium oxide thin films induces the higher packing density, lower absorption, and smoother surface than the conventional DC reactive magnetron sputtering, suggesting that it can be employed in deposition of optical dielectric coatings. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.