High-speed deposition of yttria stabilized zirconia by MOCVD

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was applied to prepare yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) films using Zr(dpm)4 and Y(dpm)3 precursors. The crystal structure of YSZ films changed with increasing Y2O3 content from a mixture of monoclinic and tetragonal phases (0–2 mol% Y2O3) to a tetragonal phase (2–8 mol% Y2O3) to a cubic phase (above 8 mol% Y2O3). YSZ films with a well-developed columnar structure and a significant (200) orientation were obtained at Tdep=923 to 1073 K. The deposition rate showed the highest value of 108 μm h−1 at Tdep=1073 K, total pressure Ptot=0.8 kPa, molar fraction of Zr precursor xZr=0.018 and that of oxygen gas xO2=0.25.