Aluminium and tantalum doping of sputtered TiO2 thin films

TiO2 is a promising material for the generation of hydrogen fuel from the photoelectrochemical splitting of water using sunlight. In this application, performance is determined by the ability to generate electron-hole pairs during illumination, and keep them separated long enough to do useful work. A TiO2-based homojunction, consisting of a graded composition is considered promising for this role. The use of magnetron sputtering is considered promising for the fabrication of such a material. The aim of this project is to explore the deposition of Al and Ta doped TiO2 films and identify deposition parameters that facilitate control of film crystallinity, control of doping level and control film thickness. Meeting these aims will provide the basis for fabricating TiO2-based homojunctions.