Stress development in amorphous zirconium oxide films prepared by sol-gel processing

The stress development in zirconium oxide gel films during annealing betwee n 150 and 400 degrees C has been investigated using thickness and substrate curvature measurements with laser beam reflections. The films' elemental c ontent was determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and their s tructure by X-ray diffraction. It is shown that the main densification mech anisms are polycondensation reactions up to 300 degrees C with acetylaceton e elimination leading to a rather weak stress increase. For temperatures ab ove 300 degrees C the vanishing of acetylacetone favors densification and s tress increase. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.