SiOxCyHz-TiO2 Nanocomposite Films Prepared by a Novel PECVD-Sputtering Process

Abstract

Recently, there has been growing interest in the incorporation of particles in plasma deposited thin films to creation of multifunctional surfaces. In this work a new hybrid methodology based on the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of hexamethyldisiloxane combined to the reactive sputtering of TiO 2 is proposed for the preparation of SiO x C y H z -TiO 2 composite films. Specifically, the effect of the proportion of O 2 in the plasma environment on the morphology, chemical structure, elemental composition, wettability, thickness and surface roughness, of the films was studied. Agglomerates of TiO 2 (16-83 μm) were detected into the organosilicon matrix with the concentration of particulates growing with the percentage of oxygen in the feed. In general, there was elevation in the angle of contact of the surfaces as the oxygen supply increased. Interpretation is proposed in terms of the influence of the oxygen supply on the TiO 2 sputtering rate and in the oxidation of plasma species.

Effects of Argon Partial Pressure Variations on Wettability and Anti-icing Characteristics of Aluminum Doped ZnO Thin Films

“…Due to economic values and high demand given by a broad range of applications of coating technologies, there has been a significant effort and energy put into the design and study of functional thin films and technologies 12 . Magnetron sputtering 13 , sol-gel spin coating 14 , atomic layer deposition 15 , chemical vapor deposition 16 , solgel dip coating 17 , and pulsed laser deposition 18 are just a few of the techniques that can be employed to develop coatings.…”