UV-Protective TiO₂ Thin Films with High Transparency in Visible Light Region Fabricated via Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

This article focuses on control of film thickness and roughness to improve the ultraviolet (UV)-protective performance of TiO₂ films prepared by atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using titanium(IV) isopropoxide (TTIP) as the precursor and argon as the plasma working gas. The relationship between the film morphology and UV-protective performance suggested that a decrease in roughness is the key factor to achieve performance improvement. The effects of substrate temperature and precursor concentration were investigated, and the results showed that an increase in both substrate temperature and precursor concentration reduced the roughness and improved the transparency to visible light without reducing the ability to block UV light. Finally, a TiO₂ film with greater than 99% UV light blockage and greater than 95% transmittance of visible light was obtained.