Atomic layer deposition of palladium coated TiO2/Si nanopillars: ToF-SIMS, AES and XPS characterization study

Nanocomposite based on Palladium (Pd) Coated TiO2/Si nanopillars is an attractive candidate for photocatalytic applications because of its outstanding electrochemical and optical characteristics. In this research, Pd/TiO2/Si were synthesized by combination metal-assisted chemical etching atomic layer deposition, then the surface was investigated means Electron microscopy, Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass-Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), Auger Spectroscopy (AES) X-Ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The spatial distribution different components contaminations produced nanocomposites evaluated ToF-SIMS mapping. Depth profiling AES carried out to determine composition conformality Pd TiO2 over Si pillars. elemental stoichiometry determined XPS analysis. valence band analysis performed in order investigate modification electronic structure after deposition. It found that coating decreases concentration photoactive defects can reduce photoelectrochemical efficiency TiO2.