Near-surface defects created by 355 nm laser irradiation of rutile

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Abstract
Sintered disks of TiO2 (rutile) have been exposed to the beam of a 355 nm laser. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies show that the strong energy deposition at the surface is responsible for the formation of Ti3+ ions down to a depth of 0.4 μm. The presence of these ions produces a large decrease in the electrical resistivity from 109 Ω cm in nonirradiated TiO2 to 10 Ω cm after laser treatment. Temperature dependent resistance measurements indicate that the creation of Ti3+ ions leads to the formation of energy levels in the gap and to a hopping‐driven conduction at room temperature.