Fabrication of superhydrophilic nanostructured surface by thermal annealing of titanium thin films in air.
We report on a novel approach to fabricate a superhydrophilic titanium oxynitride surface by dc magnetron sputtering deposition followed by thermal annealing in air. The annealing was conducted in a furnace with no gas control at temperature ranging from 300-700 degrees C. The chemical composition and the morphology of the films have been investigated by contact angle measurements, optical absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results reveal that the annealed films consist of a 5-10 nm thick capping titanium composite layer on top of a titanium metal layer. The nitrogen and oxygen composition of this capping layer can be tailored with the annealing temperature. The annealing process also produces nanoscale protrusions on the surface, yielding water contact angles of less than five degrees. This annealing approach in air is a simple yet versatile method, capable of producing nanostructure materials with potential applications in photocatalytic coating and semiconductor fabrication.
Klamchuen
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National Nanotechnology Center, NSTDA, 111 Thailand Science Park, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
Pratontep
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