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A fractal analysis of TiO 2 sol-gel films treated under different atmospheres

G. DOBRESCU1, M. ANASTASESCU1,* , M. STOICA1, A. SZEKERES2, N. TODOROVA3, C. TRAPALIS3, M. GARTNER1

Affiliation

  1. Institute of Physical Chemistry, Romanian Academy, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
  2. Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
  3. Institute of Materials Science, NCSR “Demokritos”, 153 10, Athens, Greece

Abstract

We report in this work a fractal analysis on TiO 2 films, treated under ammonia and oxygen atmospheres, in correlation with their surface morphology. Titanium dioxide films were deposited on fused silica substrates by a sol-gel and dipping method. The morphology of the five-layered TiO 2 films was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, the AFM images from 4x4, 2x2 and 1x1 μm 2 scanning areas were analyzed by computing the fractal dimensions by applying both the correlation function method and the variable length scale method. It was found that all samples exhibited fractal behaviour in a large self-similarity domain. The sample surfaces were characterized by three different fractal dimensions, indicating three different superimposed structures on them. The short self-similarity range fractal dimension was higher in the case of NH3 annealing, compared to those obtained for O 2 annealing, indicating a lower roughness at short distances. Samples annealed in a NH 3 flux and a higher temperature had higher fractal dimensions at short ranges, the three fractal dimensions having almost the same values. These results could be used in future work as a standard analysis method, and also in the preparation of materials with tailored nanostructural properties..

Keywords

TiO2 films, Sol-gel, AFM, Fractal dimension.

Submitted at: Nov. 5, 2008
Accepted at: Oct. 3, 2009

Citation

G. DOBRESCU, M. ANASTASESCU, M. STOICA, A. SZEKERES, N. TODOROVA, C. TRAPALIS, M. GARTNER, A fractal analysis of TiO 2 sol-gel films treated under different atmospheres, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 11, Iss. 10, pp. 1359-1362 (2009)