PLD-Grown Y₂O₃ Thin Films from Y Metal:  An Advantageous Alternative to Films Deposited from Yttria

Abstract

The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of Y 2 O 3 from a pure yttrium ablation target is performed for the first time and is shown to replace advantageously PLD from yttria targets. The films were grown on optical-quality MgO(100) and sapphire(0001) substrates, the former yielding films with poorer crystalline quality because of the large lattice misfit between film and substrate. Regardless of the growth conditions employed, films deposited from the yttrium target consistently exhibit lower ω-rocking curve values than films deposited from the oxide target, thus suggesting a lower degree of tilting between the growth planes of the film. Because of the higher absorption coefficient of the metal target, the metal-deposited films exhibit a smoother film surface than films deposited from the oxide target, which present localized surface outgrowths. The AFM study confirms that the roughness of the films is smaller for Y-than for Y 2 O 3 -deposited films, but in both cases, it is strongly dependent on the total background gas pressure and on the chemical etching of the substrate surface prior to deposition. Cross-section specimens studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the region near the substrate-film interface is very smooth and that the inplane orientation of the films changes as a function of film thickness. XPS analysis showed no obvious difference in bonding at the surface of the films deposited from the different targets, indicating that the same level of oxidation occurred during the growth process of the film by each target.

Comparison of Erosion Behavior and Particle Contamination in Mass-Production CF4/O2 Plasma Chambers Using Y2O3 and YF3 Protective Coatings

“…In the curve-fitted XPS spectra of the Y 2 O 3 coating, two peaks mean two sources of bonding for cations from Y3d split into two Y3d 5/2 states (high peaks) and Y3d 3/2 (low peaks) [22]. In Figure 5a, the etched surface of the Y 2 O 3 coating consisted of Y3d 5/2 and Y3d 3/2 , with an intensity ratio of 3:2 and peak shift difference in the binding energy of 2 eV, according to the XPS standard [23,24].…”

Comparison of Y2O3:Bi3+ phosphor thin films fabricated by the spin coating and radio frequency magnetron techniques

“…Thin films based on Y 2 O 3 materials possesses excellent optical properties, such as transparency over a broad spectral range (from visible (VIS) to long-wavelength infrared (LWIR)), high refractive index ( $2.0), large band gap ( $ 5.6 eV) and low absorption [2]. Considerable research has also been conducted on the growth of Y 2 O 3 films for various applications as optical coatings, phosphor thin films and dielectric layers for electroluminescent devices [4]. Several researchers also reported on the application of the Y 2 O 3 phosphor as a downconversion (DC) coating material for Si solar cells [5][6][7].…”

Study on reactive sputtering of yttrium oxide: Process and thin film properties

“…Although there have been many reports about thin film deposition of yttrium oxide by a large number of methods, including molecular beam deposition [17,24], electron beam evaporation deposition [25], pulsed laser deposition [26,27], radio frequency sputtering [7,28], chemical vapor deposition [2,29], there are few reports systematically covering the controllable growth of yttrium oxide films by DC reactive magnetron sputtering [30]. The latter research paper still leaves an interesting gap to be investigated, especially, on understanding and controlling the growth of yttrium oxide films within the three different modes from metallic mode, transition zone to poisoned mode.…”