High-pressure reactively sputtered HfO2: Composition, morphology, and optical properties

Hafnium oxide films were deposited by high pressure reactive sputtering using different deposition pressures and times. The composition, morphology, and optical properties of the films, together with the sputtering process growth kinetics were investigated using heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The films showed a monoclinic polycrystalline structure, with a grain size depending on the deposition pressure. All films were slightly oxygen rich with respect to stoichiometric HfO2 and presented a significant amount of hydrogen (up to 6at.%), which is attributed to the high affinity for moisture of the HfO2 films. The absorption coefficient was fitted to the Tauc law, obtaining a band gap value of 5.54eV. It was found that the growth rate of the HfO2 films depends on the deposition pressure (P) as P−1.75. This dependence is explained by a diffusion model o...