Daniel F. Fernandes, Tomas Kubart

Solid State Electronics, Uppsala University, Sweden

TiO2 thin films are widely used due to their photocatalytic, anti-corrosive and optical properties. Ion assistance in reactive HiPIMS has been shown to facilitate the growth of materials with improved quality. Here we explore the possibility of deposition of TiO2 films on polymer (PET) foils through reactive HiPIMS in a roll-to-roll semi-industrial system. The deposited films are characterized by Vis-NIR spectrophotometry, SEM and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The microstructure and optical properties are then compared to films produced in a lab-scale system. We show that reactive HiPIMS can enhance the refractive index and the film density as well as improve the surface roughness. Control of the TiO2 crystallinity without substrate heating is challenging and strategies for process development are discussed.