Biomimetic formation of Titania Thin Films: Effect of Amino Acids on the Deposition Process

Different types of amino acids have been used as additives to control the aqueous deposition of titanium dioxide thin films on single-crystal Si wafers. Thin titania films can be obtained through a chemical bath deposition (CBD) process using TiCl₄ as a precursor in an aqueous solution at temperatures below 100 °C. The addition of amino acids to the deposition solution was shown to reduce the thickness and roughness of the films and to increase their density. These protein building blocks were employed to modify the deposition rate as well as the size of aggregates that form the film. The thickness, crystallinity, morphology and composition of the grown films were characterized by a variety of techniques, including XRD, XPS, AFM and SEM. The consequences of the type of the amino acid additive (and its concentration in the solution) on the microstructural evolutions of the deposed films are thus revealed and discussed on the basis of the organic-inorganic interactions in solution and at the film surface.