Structural and surface properties of TiO2 thin films dopedwith neodymium deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering

Thin films were deposited using modified, high energy magnetron sputtering method from Ti-Nd mosaic targets. The amountof neodymium dopant incorporated into two sets of thin films was estimated to be 0.8 and 8.5 at.%, by means of energy dispersivespectroscopy. On the basis of x-ray diffraction method, the type of crystalline structure and crystallites size were evaluateddirectly after the deposition process and after additional post-process annealing at 800 °C temperature. The influence of annealingon the surface properties was evaluated with the aid of atomic force microscopy. Uniformity of the dopant distribution in titaniumdioxide matrix was examined with the aid of secondary ion mass spectroscopy. Additionally, using atomic force microscope,diversification and roughness of the surface was determined. Chemical bonds energy at the surface of TiO2:Nd thin films wasinvestigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy method. Wettability measurements were performed to determine contact angles,critical surface tensions and surface free energy of prepared coatings. On the basis of performed investigations it was found, thatboth factors, the amount of neodymium dopant and the post-process annealing, fundamentally influenced the physicochemicalproperties of prepared thin films.