Thin layers of HfO2 grown on the (1 0 0)Si crystal surface using atomic layer deposition or metallo-organic chemical vapour deposition were analysed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of Hf 4f, Si 2p and O 1s electron states. The chemical indepth profiling was conducted by combining XPS with Ar+ ion sputtering. In addition to establishing the deposition-sensitive oxide structure, Ar+ ion sputtering was found to lead to the formation of a metallic Hf layer on the surface of the sample. The latter observation suggests HfO2 as a feasible candidate for not only insulating applications but, thanks to the high mass and electron density of the cation, also as a material suitable for the fabrication of nanometre-sized conductors by direct oxide decomposition.
HfO(2) thin films of different thicknesses and deposited by two methods (ALD and MOCVD) were studied. The microstructure of films was characterized by reflection spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and soft x-ray reflectometry. It was established that the HfO(2) film microstructure is closely dependent on film thickness. The 5 nm thick film synthesized by ALD shows an amorphous phase while the film prepared by MOCVD was inhomogeneous in depth and showed signs of crystalline structure. First results on the reconstruction of the depth distribution of chemical elements based on the analysis of reflectivity curves are discussed.
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