Influence of ion energy and arrival rate on x-ray crystallographic properties of thin ZrOx films prepared on Si(111) substrate by ion-beam assisted deposition

Thin zirconium oxide films, formed on Si(111) substrate by ion-beam assisted deposition, have been investigated by x-ray diffractometry with respect to the microstructure of the films, such as preferred orientation, interplanar spacing, crystallite size. The results of the interplanar spacing and diffraction intensity analysis could be interpreted in terms of relative amount of Zr4+ ions estimated by analyses of Zr 3d x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra for the films. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021- 8979(00)08913-1].