CHARACTERIZATION OF BISMUTH OXIDE THIN FILMS DEPOSITED VIA UNBALANCED MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Abstract

Bismuth oxide thin films (250 nm) were deposited via unbalanced DC magnetron sputtering on Ti-6Al:4V, and common glass substrates. After being deposited, the films were heated (annealed) for 1 h between 473 and 1073 K in steps of 100 K. The morphology was characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the micro-structure was analyzed through x-ray diffraction (XRD), and the electrochemical behavior was analyzed with the potentiodynamic polarization test. Additionally, a proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) test was done on one of the samples in order to check the chemical distribution of the elements in the surface. The SEM and XRD analyses showed that the post-annealing process affects both the morphology and the structure of the films for all the samples. Finally, the electrochemical tests showed that films grown at 773 K have the highest degree of corrosion resistance.