Abstract: TiO2 thin films were deposited by direct current (DC) magnetron reactive sputtering without external heating. Photocatalytic activity of the samples was tested by degradation of methylene blue solution under irradiation of a UV lamp. The effect of different preparation parameters on photocatalytic activity was investigated. The results show that the thicker film annealed at 500 ℃ has better photocatalytic activity; Thin films deposited with lower source power and lower Ar/O2 flow ratio display better photocatalytic activity when their thicknesses are similar.

Key words: TiO2 thin films were deposited by direct current (DC) magnetron reactive sputtering without external heating. Photocatalytic activity of the samples was tested by degradation of methylene blue solution under irradiation of a UV lamp. The effect of different preparation parameters on photocatalytic activity was investigated. The results show that the thicker film annealed at 500 ℃ has better photocatalytic activity; Thin films deposited with lower source power and lower Ar/O2 flow ratio display better photocatalytic activity when their thicknesses are similar.