Morphology and preferred orientation of Y2O3 film prepared by high-speed laser CVD

Yttria (Y2O3) films were prepared at high deposition rates of up to 83 nm/s (300 μm/h) by laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) using an Y(dpm)3 precursor. The effects of deposition conditions, mainly total gas pressure and laser power, on morphology, deposition rate and preferred orientation were studied. Plasma was produced around the substrate over a critical laser power resulting in significant increases in deposition temperature and deposition rate. The high deposition rate (300 μm/h) by LCVD was about 100 to 1000 times as high as those by conventional CVD. The morphology of Y2O3 films changed from faceted and columnar structures with high (400) orientation to a columnar structure with high (440) orientation, and finally to a cone-like structure with moderate (440) orientation with increasing total gas pressure (Ptot).