Institution: | aInstitute of Physics, University of Tartu, Riia 142, 51014 Tartu, Estonia bEstonian Nanotechnology Competence Center, Riia 142, 51014 Tartu, Estonia cInstitute of Physical Chemistry, University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, 51014 Tartu, Estonia |
Abstract: | Atomic layer deposition of Cr2O3 thin films from CrO2Cl2 and CH3OH on amorphous SiO2 and crystalline Si(1 0 0) and -Al2O3() substrates was investigated, and properties of the films were ascertained. Self-limited growth with a rate of 0.05–0.1 nm/cycle was obtained at substrate temperatures of 330–420 °C. In this temperature range epitaxial eskolaite was formed on the -Al2O3() substrates. The predominant crystallographic orientation in the epitaxial films depended, however, on the growth temperature and film thickness. Sufficiently thick films grown on the SiO2 and Si(1 0 0) substrates contained also the eskolaite phase, but thinner films deposited at 330–375 °C on these substrates were amorphous. The growth rate data of films with different phase composition allowed a conclusion that the crystalline phase grew markedly faster than the amorphous phase did. The amorphous, polycrystalline and epitaxial films had densities of 4.9, 5.1 and 5.1–5.3 g/cm3, respectively. |