Self-oriented growth of β-Yb2Si2O7 and X1/X2-Yb2SiO5 coatings using laser chemical vapor deposition

Abstract We demonstrated the self-oriented growth of ytterbium silicate films at high deposition rates using laser chemical vapor deposition (laser CVD). β-Yb2Si2O7, X1-Yb2SiO5, and X2-Yb2SiO5 phases preferred (001)β and (110)β, (100)X1 and (021)X2, and (221)X2 orientations, respectively. The self-oriented growth was associated with crystallographic features, namely the edge-sharing Yb–O polyhedral networks in each phase. Deposition rates of the β-Yb2Si2O7 and X1/X2-Yb2SiO5 films ranged 114–423 and 353–943 μm h−1, respectively. Post annealing implied that β-Yb2Si2O7 and X2-Yb2SiO5 were the stable phases at elevated temperatures and the obtained films maintained their cone-like and columnar structures after annealing at 1673 K in air.