Thulium and ytterbium-doped titanium oxide thin films deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

TL;DR

This study reports the fabrication of thulium and ytterbium-doped titanium oxide thin films via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, analyzing their structural properties and optimizing deposition conditions for high-quality films.

Contribution

It introduces a method for depositing doped TiO2 thin films with controlled crystallinity and doping quality using metal-organic spray pyrolysis at various temperatures.

Findings

Crystallinity improves at deposition temperatures above 400°C.

Deposition rate reaches up to 0.8 μm/h.

Anatase phase of TiO2 is achieved at 400°C or higher.

Abstract

Thin films of thulium and ytterbium-doped titanium oxide were grown by metal-organic spray pyrolysis deposition from titanium(IV)oxide bis(acetylacetonate), thulium(III) tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate) and ytterbium(III) tris(acetylacetonate). Deposition temperatures have been investigated from 300{\deg}C to 600{\deg}C. Films have been studied regarding their crystallity and doping quality. Structural and composition characterisations of TiO2:Tm,Yb were performed by electron microprobe, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The deposition rate can reach 0.8 \mum/h. The anatase phase of TiO2 was obtained after synthesis at 400{\deg}C or higher. Organic contamination at low deposition temperature is eliminated by annealing treatments.