Structure of glancing incidence deposited TiO(2) thin films as revealed by grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering.

For the first time, grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) analysis is used to characterize the morphology of TiO(2) thin films grown by glancing angle physical vapor deposition (GLAD). According to cross-section scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, the films consist of near isotilted TiO(2) columns of different length and width depending on film thickness. The obtained GISAXS patterns show a characteristic asymmetry with respect to the incidence plane, which is associated with the tilted geometry of the TiO(2) columns. The patterns also show the existence of two populations of columns in these GLAD-TiO(2) films. The population of the thinnest columns appears related to the first grown layer and is common for all the films investigated, while the second population of columns grows with the thickness of the films and has been related to wider columns formed by shadowing at the expense of the initially formed columns.