Microrod structure and properties of Sb-doped Ti/SnO₂ anodes prepared by magnetron sputtering

Cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry have been used to study the Sb-doped Ti/SnO₂ anodes prepared by magnetron sputtering. The results showed that magnetron sputtering condition influenced the surface morphology and the properties of the anodes. After the Ti substrate was tempered in Ar at 600 °C for 1 h, TiH_1.5 on the surface generated from the acid etching was replaced by needle-like TiO₂. The SnO₂ coating on the above Ti substrate by magnetron sputtering with post-annealing was comprised of microrod and different with the traditional Ti/SnO₂ anode. The accelerated service life test showed that the microrod SnO₂ anode gained the longest service time. The anode exhibited oscillations in the chronopotentiometry curves, and the microrod SnO₂ coating almost dissolved after the life test. A model of layer-by-layer degradation mechanism for the anode was proposed.