Synthesis of Nanosized Titanium Oxide and Nitride Through Vacuum Arc Plasma Expansion Technique

Abstract

Physical vapor deposition techniques such vacuum arc plasma deposition — which are very commonly used in thin film technology — appear to hold much promise for the synthesis of nanocrystalline thin films as well as nanoparticles. Monodisperse and spherical titanium oxide (TiO2) and nitride nanoparticles were produced at room temperature as a cluster beam in the gas phase using a cluster-deposition source. Using the basic principles of the gas condensation method, this study has developed vacuum arc nanoparticle synthesis system. We demonstrate that major process deposition parameter is the pressure in the plasma chamber. This is the major advantage of these techniques over thermal evaporation. Our method affords TiN powders with high specific surface areas exceeding 200m2g−1. TEM micrograph of TiO2 nanoparticles prepared at an oxygen pressure of 60Pa show an average particle size of 6nm. TiO2 nanoparticles prepared at an oxygen pressure of 70 Pa were observed to not have a reduced average particle size.