Properties of radio frequency magnetron sputtered silicon dioxide films

The rf sputtering method, using Ar2O mixture, was applied to fabricate silicon oxide films. The compressive internal stresses, resulted from thermal expansion mismatch, of films deposited on polycarbonate are larger than those of films deposited on glass substrates. Addition of oxygen to the sputtering ambient reduces both the film deposition rate and grain size. The adhesion of the SiO2 film to the glass substrate are measured with pull-off test and/or scratch test. Films sputtered in the presence of oxygen are more wear-resistant than those without oxygen.