Metal PVD honey-combs coated with TIO2 and Al2O3 via PECVD suitable for sensoring applications

Economical and self-assembling polystyrene ‘Breath Figures’ method has been used to obtain a large polymeric 3D honey-comb structure substrate successively coated with metallic ductile films with thickness of few hundreds of nanometers deposited via DC magnetron sputtering. Finally, the obtained metallic 3D honey-comb structures have been functionalized by ceramic coatings such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) via radio frequency-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) having the role of the active parts. The films have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy to define their morphology, while energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) measurements were carried out to determine their elemental composition. The electrical characterization of the metallic films has been performed by using a four-point probe method. The sheet resistance RS of the films has been derived and the results discussed taking into account its dependence on the effective superficial length due to Breath Figures morphological benefit. •Polystyrene honey-comb production•Metal coating on them via magnetron sputtering•PS substrate chemical removal obtaining self sustaining metallic honey comb film•PECVD of ceramic oxide coatings on metallic films for improved aspect ratio•Electrical measurements to verify the improved effective area