Incorporation of Hydroxyl Ions and Protons in Oxide Ion Vacancies in Nanoscale Yttria Stabilized Zirconia during Atomic Layer Deposition

Abstract

This work provides direct evidence that protons are incorporated in yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) during the fabrication of films and not from ambient water after deposition. An oxidant made of proton isotopes or deutrium was used as a tracer of the incorporated protons during the synthesis, and time-of-flight secondary mass ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was conducted for depth profiling. We identified that protons or deutrium ions introduced during deposition truly favored to reside in the ALD YSZ layers and that the concentration of protons incorporated during ALD was related to the concentration of yttrium.