SURFACE-ROUGHNESS OF SPUTTERED ZRO2 FILMS STUDIED BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY AND SPECTROSCOPIC LIGHT-SCATTERING

ZrO2 films were prepared by reactive sputtering. Elastic light scatter ing was used to determine the cross correlation of the substrate and f ilm interface roughness. Surface profiles were measured with atomic-fo rce microscopy. The power spectral density functions could be fitted b y the K-correlation model, suggesting self-affine fractal surfaces. Th e roughness of the film front surfaces was of the same order of magnit ude as the substrate roughness. We have derived a replication factor f rom experimental data that gives information on the evolution of the c ontribution of the substrate roughness.