TY - JOUR

T1 - Reactively-sputtered super-hydrophilic ultra-thin titania films deposited at 120°C

AU - Kaidatzis, Andreas

AU - Mouti, Nafsika-Maria

AU - Arfanis, Michalis

AU - Papadimitropoulos, Giorgos

AU - Mitterer, Christian

AU - Falaras, Polycarpos

AU - Giannakopoulos, Konstantinos

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.

PY - 2023/11/1

Y1 - 2023/11/1

N2 - We investigate super-hydrophilic TiO2 (titania) films for concentrated solar-thermal power applications. Reactive magnetron sputtering has been used to deposit 8 to 12 nm thick titania thin films onto borosilicate microscope glass slides, low-Fe extra-clear architectural glass, or Si(100) wafers with a 500 nm thick thermal SiO2 layer. The effects of deposition temperature and O2 fraction of the O2/Ar working gas were investigated. We demonstrate the importance of the O2 fraction for obtaining optically transparent, super-hydrophilic (contact angle below 1°) thin films. In particular, we show that as the O2 fraction increases, contact angle decreases, obtaining super-hydrophilic titania thin films at deposition temperatures as low as 120 °C. Our work enables to develop low thermal budget cost-efficient industrial synthesis processes, paving the way for commercial applications.

AB - We investigate super-hydrophilic TiO2 (titania) films for concentrated solar-thermal power applications. Reactive magnetron sputtering has been used to deposit 8 to 12 nm thick titania thin films onto borosilicate microscope glass slides, low-Fe extra-clear architectural glass, or Si(100) wafers with a 500 nm thick thermal SiO2 layer. The effects of deposition temperature and O2 fraction of the O2/Ar working gas were investigated. We demonstrate the importance of the O2 fraction for obtaining optically transparent, super-hydrophilic (contact angle below 1°) thin films. In particular, we show that as the O2 fraction increases, contact angle decreases, obtaining super-hydrophilic titania thin films at deposition temperatures as low as 120 °C. Our work enables to develop low thermal budget cost-efficient industrial synthesis processes, paving the way for commercial applications.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85176801503&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/2053-1591/ad0450

DO - 10.1088/2053-1591/ad0450

M3 - Article

VL - 10.2023

JO - Materials Research Express : MRX

JF - Materials Research Express : MRX

SN - 2053-1591

IS - 11

M1 - 115501

ER -