Characterisation of ZrO2 films prepared by rf reactive sputtering at different O-2 concentrations in the sputtering gases

Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) films have been prepared by rf reactive magnetron sp uttering at different O-2 concentrations in the mixture sputtering gases. T he films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning elect ron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and optical spectroscop ies. The influence of O-2 concentration in the sputtering gases on the micr ostructure, residual stress and optical properties of the films has been st udied. Also, the effect of loose packing structure caused by the high O-2 g as concentration on the deposition rate has been discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.