Zirconia and zirconia-silica thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering

Amorphous zirconia (ZrO2) and zirconia-silica (ZrO2-SiO2) thin films were prepared on glass and silicon substrates by magnetron sputtering. Zirconia-silica targets were prepared by mixing ZrO2 and SiO2 in volume ratio. These films were studied by changing deposition temperatures and r.f. powers. The growth rates were 0.5-2.1 and 2.1-14.0 nm/min for ZrO2 and SiO2 films, respectively. The ZrO2-SiO2 films had medium growth rates. Mechanical performance, e.g. internal stress and adhesion was evaluated. The addition of SiO2 lowered the internal stress of pure ZrO2 films. Dielectric properties, resistivity and the breakdown field of the dielectric thin films were measured. The addition Of SiO2 increased the resistivity and breakdown field and lowered the dielectric loss tangent of pure ZrO2 films. Optical properties, e.g. refractive index and optical transmittance, were also discussed. Zirconium silicate films still remained highly transparent. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.