Combined magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition of TiO2 and BFCO thin films

D Benetti,A Sarkissian,R Nouar,J M Macleod,H Pepin,F Rosei,R Nechache

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-02284-0

Abstract

We report the successful demonstration of a hybrid system that combines pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and magnetron sputtering (MS) to deposit high quality thin films. The PLD and MS simultaneously use the same target, leading to an enhanced deposition rate. The performance of this technique is demonstrated through the deposition of titanium dioxide and bismuth-based perovskite oxide Bi2FeCrO6 (BFCO) thin films on Si(100) and LaAlO3 (LAO) (100). These specific oxides were chosen due to their functionalities, such as multiferroic and photovoltaic properties (BFCO) and photocatalysis (TiO2). We compare films deposited by conventional PLD, MS and PLD combined with MS, and show that under all conditions the latter technique offers an increased deposition rate (+50%) and produces films denser (+20%) than those produced by MS or PLD alone, and without the large clusters found in the PLD-deposited films. Under optimized conditions, the hybrid technique produces films that are two times smoother than either technique alone.

Highlights

The growth of thin films and nanostructures can be pursued using a number of technologies, the most successful of which allow for tailoring the structure so as to optimize optical, electrical, tribological and other properties[1,2,3,4]
At 5 mTorr the hybrid system consistently operated at a higher growth rate (+50%) while achieving roughness values significantly lower than those obtained through Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) or Magnetron sputtering (MS) alone (0.25 ± 0.01 nm RMS vs. 0.34 ± 0.02 nm RMS and 0.34 ± 0.02 nm RMS)
We have demonstrated the efficacy of simultaneously combining PLD and MS in a hybrid deposition system for the synthesis of functional materials

Summary

Introduction

The growth of thin films and nanostructures can be pursued using a number of technologies, the most successful of which allow for tailoring the structure so as to optimize optical, electrical, tribological and other properties[1,2,3,4]. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is another important PVD technique for thin film and nanostructure growth[1, 8,9,10], which can be applied at any pressure, offering more versatility.

Results

Conclusion