Microstructural and photocatalytic properties distribution of TiO2 coatings reactively sputtered as a function of the substrate position relatively to the Ti target

Amorphous and porous TiO2 coatings were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering at high pressure (3.4 Pa) on cold soda-lime glass placed at different positions relatively to the magnetron target, which corresponds to different impingement angles and target-to-substrate distances. The as-deposited coatings were heated at 450 °C under ambient air to crystallise into the photoactive anatase phase. The structural analyses combined with AFM experiments have shown a reduction of the crystallites and the lateral grain size with the removal of the substrate from the target axis inducing a specific area rise. Moreover, the stress state is all the less as compressive as the substrates are far away from the target. As a result, the photocatalytic properties are improved with the decrease of the incidence angle and with the target-to-substrate distance rise.