Low temperature formation of rutile TiO2 films

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films were deposited by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering technique on to non-conducting glass substrates are deposited at different bias voltage ranging from floating potential to - 200 V. We reported the growth of the rutile phase on to glass substrates at relatively low deposition temperature. XRD shows the growth of the anatase and small fraction of rutile phase at floating potential and the rutile fraction increased with increasing bias voltage. On increasing the bias voltage from floating potential to - 200 V the cluster size of the films were increases from 20 to 30 nm. The root mean square roughness (R_rms) of the films increased from 5.89 to 16.02 nm on increasing the substrate bias. The optical bandgap values are found to decrease whereas the optical constant (refractive index and extinction coefficient) increased with increasing bias voltage. The contact angle studies showed increasing surface energy with increasing substrate bias from floating potential to - 200 V.