Electrophoretic deposition of titania thin films: influence of deposition time on microstructural and optical properties of the coatings

Titania thin films were prepared by electrophoretic deposition at various deposition times (1, 5 and 10 min) in constant applied potential (5 V). For this purpose, modified titania sol was prepared as a colloidal suspension. The influence of deposition time on the thickness and optical properties of titania films was investigated. Scanning electron microscope images illustrate compact and homogeneous titania films deposited on FTO substrates. The results show that the film thickness increases with increasing the deposition time. It could be inferred from UV-Vis spectroscopy that increasing the thickness of deposited film causes higher absorbance at UV region. Also, increasing the deposition time from 1 to 5 min leads to increase in optical band gap of the deposited films.