ion beam etching of TiO2

In ultra-high vacuum (1E-9 to 1E-10 torr or better), you can use an ion gun with argon ions to remove the oxide, with metallic titanium remaining. I've never been able to fully get rid of the oxide though. The surface is extremely reactive with oxygen and I saw a statement somewhere that even at a pressure of 1E-10 torr, a metal surface will be covered with an adsorbed monolayer in on the order of one minute.

TiO2 has a range of composition from TiO(2 to 1.98) or something like that.

Point defects are conductive in Titanium Dioxide.

Jim

You should check under an optical microscope if you see any blue colour.

J.J.

What does the "blue colour" mean, if I see it?

jacques jedwab schrieb:

Non-stoichiometric titanium dioxide - which is electrically conductive from the point defects.

At least in the macroscopic TiO2 crystals that I once used.