Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C

Ahmet Çetin; Mehmet Şimşir; Ebru Senadim Tuzemen; Ali Özer

doi:10.17776/csj.1833921

Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C

Abstract

In this study, titanium dioxide TiO₂ thin films were deposited onto glass substrates at room temperature and at a substrate temperature of 300°C using the RF magnetron sputtering technique, and their structural, morphological, chemical, and photocatalytic properties were comparatively investigated. XRD analysis revealed that the film deposited at room temperature exhibited a fully amorphous structure, whereas the film deposited at 300°C displayed low-intensity reflections of the anatase (101) and (004) planes on an amorphous background, indicating the onset of limited crystalline nucleation with increasing temperature. Cross-sectional SEM images confirmed the formation of a homogeneous layer with an approximate thickness of 330 nm, while surface SEM micrographs showed a compact and fine-grained morphology characteristic of films deposited at low temperatures. AFM measurements demonstrated a granular surface topography with an RMS roughness of approximately 26 nm over a 10 × 10 µm scan area. FTIR spectra revealed the characteristic Ti–O–Ti vibrational modes, confirming the formation of the TiO₂ network structure. Photocatalytic experiments showed that the TiO₂ film deposited at 300°C achieved approximately 74% degradation of methylene blue under UVA irradiation after about 9 hours, exhibiting significantly higher photocatalytic activity compared to the room-temperature film. This improvement is attributed to partial structural ordering and increased surface roughness. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the structural evolution occurring in TiO₂ thin films deposited at low temperatures directly influences their photocatalytic behavior, and that TiO₂ films exhibiting considerable photocatalytic performance can be produced even at moderate deposition temperatures such as 300°C.

Keywords

RF Magnetron Sputtering, TiO₂ Thin Films, Substrate Temperature, Surface Morphology, Photocatalytic Activity

Project Number

M-2021-806

References

Miklos, D. B., Remy, C., Jekel, M., Linden, K. G., Drewes, J. E., & Hübner, U. (2018). Evaluation of advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment – A critical review. Water Research, 139, 118–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.03.042
Tian, S., Feng, Y., Zheng, Z., & He, Z. (2023). TiO₂-Based photocatalytic coatings on glass substrates for environmental applications. Coatings, 13(8), 1472. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13081472
Mulus, D. A. S., Permana, M. D., Deawati, Y., & Eddy, D. R. (2025). A current review of TiO₂ thin films: synthesis and modification effect to the mechanism and photocatalytic activity. Applied Surface Science Advances, 27, 100746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100746.
Fujishima, A., & Honda, K. (1972). Electrochemical photolysis of water at a semiconductor electrode. Nature, 238(5358), 37–38. https://doi.org/10.1038/238037a0
Wang, Y.-H., Rahman, K. H., Wu, C.-C., & Chen, K.-C. (2020). A review on the pathways of the improved structural characteristics and photocatalytic performance of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films fabricated by the magnetron-sputtering technique. Catalysts, 10(6), 598. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10060598
Dell'Edera, M., Lo Porto, C., De Pasquale, I., Petronella, F., Curri, M. L., Agostiano, A., & Comparelli, R. (2021). Photocatalytic TiO₂-based coatings for environmental applications. Catalysis Today, 380, 62–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2021.04.023.
Ogawa, T., Zhao, Y., Okumura, H., & Ishihara, K. N. (2022). Enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ thin film deposited by reactive RF sputtering under oxygen-rich conditions. Photochem, 2(1), 138–149. https://doi.org/10.3390/photochem2010011
Aydınoğlu, H. S.,& Şenadım Tüzemen, E. (2025). Effect of substrate temperature on the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of methylene blue using TiO₂ thin films. Reaction Kinetics, Mechanisms and Catalysis, 138, 3277–3294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-025-02872-6
Jana, S., Debnath, A. K., Putta, V., Bahadur, J., Kishor, J., Chauhan, A. K., & Bhattacharya, D. (2024). Effect of substrate temperature and annealing on the growth of TiO₂₋ₓ thin films deposited by using DC-magnetron sputtering technique. Surface and Interface Analysis, 56(2), 107–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/sia.7274
Hosseini, Z. S., Haghparast, F., Masoudi, A. A., & Mortezaali, A. (2022). Enhanced visible photocatalytic performance of un-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles thin films through modifying the substrate surface roughness. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 279, 125530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2021.125530

Szołdra, P., Frąc, M., Adamczyk, A., Kot, M., & Pichór, W. (2024). Characterization and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ thin films prepared by sol-gel method for NOx degradation. Materials Science and Engineering: B, 301, 117189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mseb.2024.117189
Grilli, M. L., Yilmaz, M., Aydogan, Ş., & Cirak, B. B. (2018). Room temperature deposition of XRD-amorphous TiO₂ thin films: Investigation of device performance as a function of temperature. Ceramics International, 44(10), 11582–11590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.03.222
Baqandwan, H., Mohamad Samsuri, S. A., Halim, M. M., & Pakhuruddin, M. Z. (2024). Nanostructured TiO₂ thin films sputtered at room temperature as electron transport layer for flexible perovskite solar cell applications: Impact of varying RF power. Physica B: Condensed Matter, 679, 415788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2024.415788
Mittireddi, R. T., Makani, N. H., Prajapati, D. G., Gautam, A. R. S., Banerjee, R., & Panda, E. (2023). Microstructure-induced functionality in titanium dioxide thin films. Materials Characterization, 199, 112818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2023.112818
Hopoğlu, H., Aydınoğlu, H. S., Özer, A., & Şenadım Tüzemen, E. (2021). Investigation of nitrogen doped ZnO thin films: Effects on their structural and optical properties. Optical Materials, 122, 111685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2021.111685
Güzelçimen, F., Tanören, B., Çetinkaya, Ç., Kaya, M. D., Efkere, H. İ., Özen, Y., Bingöl, D., Sirkeci, M., Kınacı, B., Ünlü, M. B., & Özçelik, S. (2020). The effect of thickness on surface structure of rf sputtered TiO₂ thin films by XPS, SEM/EDS, AFM and SAM. Vacuum, 182, 109766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2020.109766
Durante, O., Di Giorgio, C., Granata, V., Neilson, J., Fittipaldi, R., Vecchione, A., Carapella, G., Chiadini, F., DeSalvo, R., Dinelli, F., Fiumara, V., Pierro, V., Pinto, I. M., Principe, M., & Bobba, F. (2021). Emergence and evolution of crystallization in TiO₂ thin films: A structural and morphological study. Nanomaterials, 11(6), 1409. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11061409
Almeida, R. M., & Pantano, C. G. (1990). Structural investigation of silica gel films by infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Applied Physics, 68(8), 4225–4232. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.346213
Khan, F. U., Zubair, M., Ansar, M. Z., Alamgir, M. K., & Nadeem, S. (2016). Effect of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of TiO₂ thin film prepared by sol-gel method. Journal of Scientific Research, 8(3), 267–272. https://doi.org/10.3329/jsr.v8i3.27195
Igamov, B. D., Bekpulatov, I. R., Normamatov, A. M., Kamardin, A. I., Kodirova, F. S., & Imanova, G. (2026). Comprehensive analysis of thickness-dependent structural, morphological, and optical properties of TiO₂ based thin films. Results in Optics, 23, 100993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rio.2026.100993
Mei, F., Yang, Z., Wu, L., Zhou, Y., & Zhang, D. (2012). Influence of annealing temperature on structure and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ thin films prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering method. Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences, 17(4), 309–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11859-012-0847-y
Escaliante, L. C., Rocha, K. O., & da Silva, J. H. D. (2021). Stability of the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ deposited by reactive sputtering. Materials Research, 24(Suppl. 1), e20210051. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5373-MR-2021-0051
Aubry, E., Ghazzal, M. N., Demange, V., Chaoui, N., Robert, D., & Billard, A. (2007). Poisoning prevention of TiO₂ photocatalyst coatings sputtered on soda–lime glass by intercalation of SiNₓ diffusion barriers. Surface and Coatings Technology, 201(18), 7706–7712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2007.03.003
Kéri, O., Kocsis, E., Karajz, D. A., Nagy, Z. K., Parditka, B., Erdélyi, Z., Szabó, A., Hernádi, K., & Szilágyi, I. M. (2021). Photocatalytic crystalline and amorphous TiO₂ nanotubes prepared by electrospinning and atomic layer deposition. Molecules, 26(19), 5917. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26195917
Paz, Y., & Heller, A. (1997). Photo-oxidatively self-cleaning transparent titanium dioxide films on soda lime glass: The deleterious effect of sodium contamination and its prevention. Journal of Materials Research, 12(10), 2759–2766. https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1997.0367
Khalifa, Z. S., Shaban, M., & Ahmed, I. A. (2023). Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue dyes by engineering the surface nano-textures of TiO₂ thin films deposited at different temperatures via MOCVD. Molecules, 28(3), 1160. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28031160
Chen, G.-S., Chen, J.-H., Kuo, J., & Niu, H. (2021). Highly crystallized mesoporous anatase films with enhanced photoactivity derived from sputter deposited TiO₂–WO₃ composites: The positive role of sodium. Applied Surface Science, 563, 150263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.150263
Villamayor, A., Pomone, T., Perero, S., Ferraris, M., Barrio, V. L., G-Berasategui, E., & Kelly, P. (2023). Development of photocatalytic nanostructured TiO₂ and NiO/TiO₂ coatings by DC magnetron sputtering for photocatalytic applications. Ceramics International, 49, 19309–19317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.03.058
Widyastuti, E., Chiu, C.-T., Hsu, J.-L., & Lee, Y.-C. (2023). Photocatalytic antimicrobial and photostability studies of TiO₂/ZnO thin films. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 16, 105010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2023.105010
Meng, F., Cao, L., Song, X., & Sun, Z. (2009). Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange by nano-TiO₂ thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. Chinese Optics Letters, 7, 956–959. https://doi.org/10.3788/COL20090710.0956
Tavares, C. J., Vieira, J., Rebouta, L., Hungerford, G., Coutinho, P., Teixeira, V., Carneiro, J. O., & Fernandes, A. J. (2007). Reactive sputtering deposition of photocatalytic TiO₂ thin films on glass substrates. Materials Science and Engineering: B, 138, 139–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mseb.2005.11.043

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

General Physics, Surface Physics, Photochemistry

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ahmet Çetin ^*
0009-0003-6991-656X
Türkiye

Mehmet Şimşir
0000-0002-8895-7821
Türkiye

Ebru Senadim Tuzemen
0000-0001-9166-7422
Türkiye

Ali Özer
0000-0002-4207-8207
Türkiye

Publication Date

June 29, 2026

Submission Date

December 1, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 4, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 47 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1833921

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA38PJ85GB

APA

Çetin, A., Şimşir, M., Senadim Tuzemen, E., & Özer, A. (2026). Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, 47(3), 557-565. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1833921

AMA

1.Çetin A, Şimşir M, Senadim Tuzemen E, Özer A. Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C. CSJ. 2026;47(3):557-565. doi:10.17776/csj.1833921

Chicago

Çetin, Ahmet, Mehmet Şimşir, Ebru Senadim Tuzemen, and Ali Özer. 2026. “Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47 (3): 557-65. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1833921.

EndNote

Çetin A, Şimşir M, Senadim Tuzemen E, Özer A (June 1, 2026) Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47 3 557–565.

IEEE

[1]A. Çetin, M. Şimşir, E. Senadim Tuzemen, and A. Özer, “Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C”, CSJ, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 557–565, June 2026, doi: 10.17776/csj.1833921.

ISNAD

Çetin, Ahmet - Şimşir, Mehmet - Senadim Tuzemen, Ebru - Özer, Ali. “Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47/3 (June 1, 2026): 557-565. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1833921.

JAMA

1.Çetin A, Şimşir M, Senadim Tuzemen E, Özer A. Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C. CSJ. 2026;47:557–565.

MLA

Çetin, Ahmet, et al. “Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, vol. 47, no. 3, June 2026, pp. 557-65, doi:10.17776/csj.1833921.

Vancouver

1.Ahmet Çetin, Mehmet Şimşir, Ebru Senadim Tuzemen, Ali Özer. Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C. CSJ. 2026 Jun. 1;47(3):557-65. doi:10.17776/csj.1833921

As of 2026, Cumhuriyet Science Journal will be published in six issues per year, released in February, April, June, August, October, and December

Structural, Morphological, and Photocatalytic Comparison of TiO₂ Thin Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering at Room Temperature and 300 °C

Abstract

Keywords

Project Number

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite