• Clean Technology
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.202-209
• /
• 2009

N-incorporated $WO_3$ ($WO_3$:N) films were synthesized using a reactive RF magnetron sputtering on unheated substrate and then post-annealed at different temperatures from 300 to $500^{\circ}C$ in air. The N anion narrowed optical band gap, due to its mixing effect with the O 2p valence states. Furthermore, it was found that the crystallinity of the $WO_3$:N films was significantly improved by the post-annealing at $350^{\circ}C$ and higher. As a result, the $WO_3$:N films exhibited much better photoelectrochemical performance, compared with pure $WO_3$ films post-annealed at the same temperature.