Structural evolution of TiO{sub 2} nanocrystalline thin films by thermal annealing and swift heavy ion irradiation

Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3103333· OSTI ID:21190123

Rath, H; Dash, P; Mishra, N C ^[1]; Som, T; Satyam, P V ^[2]; Singh, U P ^[3]; Kulriya, P K; Kanjilal, D; Avasthi, D K ^[4]

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1. Department of Physics, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar 751004 (India)
2. Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar 751005 (India)
3. KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751004 (India)
4. Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi 110 067 (India)

The present study probes into the transition from anatase to rutile phase of TiO{sub 2} in 100 nm thick nanocrystalline thin films under thermal annealing and swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation. The films were prepared using sol-gel and spin coating techniques on silicon (100) substrates. The as-deposited films are found to be amorphous by glancing angle x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Though thermal annealing is known to cause transformation from anatase to rutile phase of TiO{sub 2} in a temperature interval of 700-900 deg. C, in nanoparticle thin films, we found that a sizable volume fraction of anatase still remains even after annealing at 1000 deg. C. Irradiations by 200 MeV Ag ions on the other hand suppressed the anatase phase and almost phase pure rutile TiO{sub 2} could be obtained at a fluence of 3x10{sup 12} ions cm{sup -2}. A mechanism based on the competing effect of grain growth and conversion of anatase to rutile at the grain boundary of the anatase on annealing and conversion of anatase to rutile in the grains of the anatase due to SHI induced thermal spike is proposed to explain the observed result.

• OSTI ID: 21190123
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 105, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3103333; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AMORPHOUS STATE
ANNEALING
CRYSTALS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
GRAIN GROWTH
MEV RANGE 100-1000
NANOSTRUCTURES
RAMAN SPECTRA
RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
RUTILE
SILICON
SILVER IONS
SOL-GEL PROCESS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 1000-4000 K
THERMAL SPIKES
THIN FILMS
TITANIUM OXIDES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION