Optical properties of electron-beam evaporated TiO2 films deposited in an ionized oxygen medium

Abstract

Optical absorption in TiO2 films depends upon starting material and deposition conditions. The influence of the combined effect of substrate temperature and ionized oxygen on the optical properties of TiO2 films deposited by reactive electron beam evaporation of TiO is presented. The ionized oxygen medium reduced the absorption in films considerably. The substrate temperature has only marginal influence on the extinction coefficient of these films. The influence of film thickness on the optical properties of TiO2 films is also studied. The variation in optical properties of TiO2 films has been explained on the basis of enhanced reactivity of oxygen and the decrease of the condensation coefficient of reacting species at elevated substrate temperature.