Negative ion resputtering in Ta2Zn3O8 thin films

Thin films have been deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering from a stoichiometric Ta2Zn3O8 ceramic target (3ZnO + 1Ta(2)O(5)). Negative ion resputtering effects have been observed in the stoichiometric Ta2Zn3O8 tar get and have been attributed to O- ron formation from;primarily Ta-O bonds. Zinc deficient thin films were deposited as a result of the preferential r esputtering of Zn versus Ta. The negative ion resputtering effects are exac erbated at higher powers and lower pressure. This observation is correlated to the oxygen ion transport through the dark space and the plasma, which u ltimately controls the energy distribution of the oxygen particles that arr ive at the substrate. Another ceramic target with excess ZnO (6ZnO + 1Ta(2) O(5)) was also sputtered under similar conditions, however predominantly Zn O films were deposited. Finally, a mosaic ZnO-Ta target was sputtered, whic h resulted in stoichiometric and luminescent thin films. (C) 1999 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-2101(99)03605-2].