Study of the double layer CeO2/Nb2O5 thin film

A double layer CeO2/Nb2O5 thin film by magnetron sputtering was prepared. The property and microstructure of the thin film were carefully characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. XPS measurement clearly demonstrated that the Nb2O5 layer underlying CeO2 as a electrical-conductive layer could greatly improve the reduction ability of CeO2 thin film compared with that of a single layer CeO2 thin film. Fitting to the XPS experimental data and deconvoluting the spectra showed the increase of Ce3+ concentration in the double layer CeO2/Nb2O5 thin film. The microstructure of the double layer thin film was composed of three distinguishable layers, which are a polycrystalline CeO2 layer, an amorphous Nb2O5 layer, and an intermediate amorphous layer with regard to the silicon substrate. The interface between CeO2 and Nb2O5 was rough and indistinct. A detailed analysis was given from the viewpoint of interdiffusion at the CeO2/Nb2O5 interface.