Reactive sputtering deposition of SiO2 thin films

• Main Authors: IVAN RADOVIC, YVES SERRUYS, YVES LIMOGE, NATASA BIBIC
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Chemical Society 2008-01-01
• Series: Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society
• Subjects: SiO2; thin films; reactive sputtering; RBS analysis
• Online Access: http://www.shd.org.yu/JSCS/Vol73/No1/JSCS-3693.pdf

SiO2 layers were deposited in a UHV chamber by 1 keV Ar+ ion sputtering from a high purity silicon target, using different values of the oxygen partial pressure (5×10-6–2×10-4 mbar) and of the ion beam current on the target (1.67–6.85 mA). The argon partial pressure during operation of the ion gun was 1×10-3 mbar. The substrate temperature was held at 550 °C and the films were deposited to a thickness of 12.5–150 nm, at a rate from 0.0018–0.035 nm s-1. Structural characterization of the deposited thin films was performed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS analysis). Reactive sputtering was proved to be efficient for the deposition of silica at 550 °C, an oxygen partial pressure of 2×10-4 mbar (ion beam current on the target of 5 mA) or, at a lower deposition rate, ion beam current of 1.67 mA and an oxygen partial pressure of 6×10-5 mbar. One aspect of these investigations was to study the consumption of oxygen from the gas cylinder, which was found to be lower for higher deposition rates.