TiOx Films Deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition Method in Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma

The plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition method applying atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (ADBD) plasma was used for TiOx thin films deposition employing titanium (IV) isopropoxide and oxygen as reactants, and argon as a working gas. ADBD was operated in the filamentary mode. The films were deposited on glass. The films′ chemical composition, surface topography, wettability and aging were analysed, particularly the dependence between precursor and reactant concentration in the discharge atmosphere and its impact on TiOx films properties. Titanium in films near the surface area was oxidized, the dominating species being TiO2 and substoichiometric titanium oxides. The films exhibited contamination with carbon, as a result of atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide reactions with radicals in films. No relevant difference of the film surface due to oxygen concentration inside the reactor was determined. The films were hydrophilic immediately after deposition, afterwards their wettability diminished, due to chemical reactions of the film surface and chemical groups involved in the atmosphere.