CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC AND ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS OF TiO2 THIN FILMS DEPOSITED ON Al SUBSTRATES

In this study, titanium oxide thin films were synthesized on Al substrates by the direct current reactive magnetron sputtering technique. During the experiments, a pure Ti interlayer on aluminum substrates was deposited. Part of the formed samples were heated to a temperature of 180°C for 120 min. The TiO2 thin films were deposited on heated and unheated Al substrates with Ti interlayer. Important crystallographic parameters of samples, like phase composition, formation of preferred crystallographic orientation, and lattice parameters were studied using X-ray diffraction analysis. Other surface characteristics, such as surface roughness, and distribution of the measured heights were determined using Atomic Force Microscopy. Electrical impedance spectroscopy was used to determine the electricalcharacteristics of specimens. The results obtained for the electrical properties of the modified surfaces were discussed in relation to the investigated structure of the samples. The results showed that the applied preliminary heating of the deposited Ti interlayer on the Al substrate significantly influenced the electrical impedance of the Ti/TiO2 coating.