SEDL / STP / STP1028-EB / STP18570S

A Study of Thin Film Growth in the ZrO² - SiO² System

Farabaugh, EN
National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD

Sun, YN
Guest Worker, Langhou Institute of Physics, Langhou,

Sun, J
Guest Worker, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Shanghai,

Feldman, A
National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD

Chen, H-H
Guest Work, Precision Instrument Development Center, Hsinchu,

Pages: 11    Published: Jan 1988

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Abstract

X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy have been used to examine the microstructures of thin films of pure ZrO² - SiO² films formed by e-beam coevaporation. The results suggest that films composed of 100% ZrO² grow by the formation of tapered polycrystalline columns. Near the substrate the columns are small in diameter and consist of a single crystalline phase, but at increasing distances from the substrate the column diameters increase and material with two polycrystalline phases appears. At a given distance from the substrate, small additions of SiO² to the film composition result in a smaller column diameter. Films with 25 mole% SiO² show an amorphous electron diffraction pattern, a result consistent with previously observed x-ray diffraction patterns. The surfaces of the amorphous films appear nearly featureless and are significantly smoother than the surfaces of the pure ZrO² films.