Cu/TiO2 thin films prepared by reactive RF magnetron sputtering

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2015-08, Vol.120 (2), p.765-773
• Main Authors: Sreedhar, M., Reddy, I. Neelakanta, Bera, Parthasarathi, Ramachandran, D., Gobi Saravanan, K., Rabel, Arul Maximus, Anandan, C., Kuppusami, P., Brijitta, J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Machines; Manufacturing; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-015-9254-5

Cu/TiO 2 thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive RF magnetron sputtering technique. Crystalline structure, surface morphology and electronic structure were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Transmittance and absorptance of these films were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy. XRD patterns demonstrate that TiO 2 films deposited on glass substrate at 300 °C are observed to be in pure anatase phase, whereas Cu/TiO 2 films are amorphous in nature at 300 °C substrate temperature. The crystallinity of Cu/TiO 2 thin films decreases with increasing the dopant concentrations of Cu in TiO 2 films. XPS studies show that Cu is in +2 oxidation state in all films. The optical band gap of Cu/TiO 2 films decreases from ~3.3 to ~2.0 eV with the increase in the copper concentration. Further, antimicrobial studies of Cu/TiO 2 films with ~3.9 at.% Cu exhibit high transmittance and best antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus compared to other doped films.