Effects of Target Angle on Particle Surface Modification by the Polygonal Barrel-Sputtering Method and Its Improvement for Increasing Sample Yield

Effects of the angle of the target plate on particle surface modification by the polygonal barrel-sputtering method were investigated by preparing TiO2-supported Ru (Ru/TiO2 ) samples. The sputtering with Ru was conducted at the target angles of 0, 20, and 45°. The results showed that the Ru nanoparticles deposited on the TiO2 particles had small and uniform sizes of ca. 2?4 nm, regardless of the target angle. However, the amount of Ru deposited gradually decreased with the change in the target angle from 0° to 20 and 45°. On the other hand, our sputtering system was redesigned by closing one side of the polygonal barrel and attaching a stainless-steel spring cap to the target holder located on the opposite side of the barrel, in order to avoid the spillage of particles. As a result, we succeeded in an increase in the sample yield (over 90 %), which will be useful for the practical application of the polygonal barrel-sputtering method