Optical,structural, and photocatalytic properties of the nanosized titanium dioxide films deposited in magnetron discharge plasma

The conditions of the optimum and controlled deposition of titanium dioxide nanolayers in the cylindrical gas discharge plasma of a magnetron having a unique design are found and described. The examination of the grown films by Raman spectroscopy is used to determine the conditions of deposition of the amorphous and polycrystalline phases of titanium dioxide. The films deposited on a cold substrate are amorphous, and the films deposited on a heated substrate consist of polycrystalline anatase. The evolution of the spectral lines of argon, oxygen, and titanium and the discharge voltage drop are studied as a function of the magnitude and the direction of changing the discharge current. The results obtained are shown to be applied for contactless optical monitoring. The refractive index of the films n is shown to have a nonlinear dependence on the layer thickness, and the layers that have a high photocatalytic activity and can be used to remove inorganic pollutants from the environment are shown to be grown.