Surface morphology of nanostructured anatase thin films prepared by pulsed liquid injection MOCVD

Nanostructured anatase thin films were prepared by chemical vapor deposition feeding a metal organic precursor in a pulsed liquid injection mode. The films were deposited at 500 °C on stainless steel substrates using a single molecular titanium isopropoxide liquid solution as the precursor, without any reactant gas. An effective pulsing injection mechanism for the precursor supply provides uniform concentration of the precursor in the vapor phase, allowing the formation of titanium dioxide layers from small micro-doses of the metal organic precursor. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies show the formation of crack-free nanostructured anatase thin films, highly oriented, formed basically by stepwised nanostructures with a uniform coverage and no detectable carbon contamination. Surface crystallinity, composition, nanostructure and morphology are discussed in terms of the experimental parameters used in the deposition process.