Deposition of Nanostructured Tungsten Oxide Layers by a New Method: Periodic Modulation of the Deposition Angle

Periodic modulation of the deposition angle (PMDA) isa new methodto deposit nanostructured and continuous layers with controllableperiodic density fluctuation. The method is used for the magnetronsputtering of a WO3 layer for an electrochromic device(ECD). An experimental study indicates that the electrochromic coloration-bleachingrate nearly doubles and the electrochromic efficiency grows by about25% in comparison with the traditional method. The ECD efficiencyrises with the increasing degree of nanostructure ordering, surfaceroughness, and homogeneity of the WO3 layer. The methodis promising for coating deposition techniques needed to produce versatiledevices with specific requirements for ion transport in surface layers,coatings, and interfaces, such as fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors.