Deposition of Nanostructured Tungsten Oxide Layers by a New Method: Periodic Modulation of the Deposition Angle

Periodic modulation of the deposition angle (PMDA) is a new method to deposit nanostructured and continuous layers with controllable periodic density fluctuation. The method is used for the magnetron sputtering of a WO₃ layer for an electrochromic device (ECD). An experimental study indicates that the electrochromic coloration-bleaching rate nearly doubles and the electrochromic efficiency grows by about 25% in comparison with the traditional method. The ECD efficiency rises with the increasing degree of nanostructure ordering, surface roughness, and homogeneity of the WO₃ layer. The method is promising for coating deposition techniques needed to produce versatile devices with specific requirements for ion transport in surface layers, coatings, and interfaces, such as fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors.