DEPOSITION OF COPPER-OXIDE FILMS BY REACTIVE LASER-ABLATION OF COPPERFORMATE IN AN RF OXYGEN PLASMA AMBIENT

The deposition of copper oxide films by reactive laser ablation of cop per formate in the presence of an oxygen r.f plasma ambient has been s tudied. The presence of Cu2O and CuO phases in the films has been iden tified by infrared spectroscopy and by X-ray diffractometry. The films deposited in a flowing oxygen ambient are rich in metallic copper. Th e application of an r.f. discharge results in efficient oxidation of t he ablated copper species, and copper oxide films of varying stoichiom etry can be obtained by systematically altering the discharge characte ristics. Deposition conditions leading to the formation of single-phas e cuprous oxide films (resistivity about 10 Omega cm) have been identi fied and the stoichiometry verified by Auger electron spectroscopy.