Low-temperature growth of Y2O3 thin films by ultraviolet-assisted pulsed laser deposition

Thin Y2O3 films have been grown on (100) Si using an in-situ ultraviolet-as sisted pulsed laser deposition (UVPLD) technique. When compared to conventi onal pulsed laser deposited (PLD) films under similar conditions, the UVPLD -grown films exhibited better structural and optical properties, especially those grown at lower substrate temperatures, from 200 degrees C to 400 deg rees C. X-ray diffraction investigations showed that the films grown were h ighly crystalline and textured. According to X-ray photoelectron spectrosco py and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry investigations, UVPLD-grown Y 2O3 films have a better overall stoichiometry and contain less physisorbed oxygen than the conventional PLD-grown films. The refractive index values, measured in the range 300-750 nm by using variable-angle spectroscopic elli psometry, were similar to those of a reference Y2O3 film.