Effects of Thermal Annealing and Film Thickness on the Structural and Morphological Properties of Titanium Dioxide Films

Abstract

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films having different thicknesses of 220, 260, and 300 nm were deposited onto well-cleaned n-type silicon substrates by reactive DC magnetron sputtering and annealed in the range of 200-1000 degrees C in steps of 200 degrees C. The effects of thermal annealing and thickness variation on the crystalline quality and surface morphology of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy measurements. It was found that the film quality and morphology depend on the annealing temperature. TiO2 films exhibit a grain-like surface morphology. The root-mean-square roughness and grain size on the surface increase as a result of increasing film thickness.