Effect of W-Ti target composition on the surface chemistry and electronic structure of WO3-TiO2 films made by reactive sputtering

Tungsten-titanium (W-Ti) mixed oxide thin films were fabricated using reactive sputtering of W-Ti alloy targets with Ti content ranging from 0 to 30 wt%. The effect of target composition on film structure, surface/interface chemistry and chemical valence state of the W and Ti cations was investigated in detail. All films were amorphous in nature as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analyses. For growth times of 1 h, the thicknesses of the W-Ti-O films decreased significantly from 150 to 35 nm with increasing Ti content in the target, confirming that the oxide film growth behavior is dependent on the sputter-target composition. The chemistry and composition of the films probed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirms the existence of W and Ti in their highest oxidation states of 6+ and 4+, respectively. Quantification of binding energy shifts for W and Ti core-level transitions confirms the formation of WO3-TiO2 composite oxide films. Depth profiles confirm and validate film uniformity, as well as film thickness differences and variable oxidation behavior of W and Ti in the films. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.