The preparation and surface roughness of CeO2–TiO2 films by a sol–gel spin-coating process

Abstract Ultraviolet absorbing CeO2–TiO2 coatings were prepared by the sol–gel spin-coating process and heat treated at 500 °C. The surface microstructure of the films was observed by SEM, and roughness and flatness were measured. We found a pattern on the surface of films. That pattern was similar to that of the metal vacuum chuck stage for fixing the substrate. The pattern on the surface of films was caused by differences in thermal conductivity to the slide in contact with the metal part of the stage vs that over a hollow part of the stage. Flatness in nano scale of the film was reported and discussed.