Low temperature growth of CeO2(111) layer on Si(100) using dual plasma deposition

In order to lower the growth temperature and improve the crystalline quality, the temperature effects on the growth of CeO2(1 1 1) layer on Si(1 0 0) using dual plasma deposition are investigated. The as-deposited films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The XRD results show CeO2(1 1 1) has been successfully deposited on Si(1 0 0) even at 200°C, and the best crystalline quality is found in the film deposited at 500°C. The CeO2(1 1 1) pole figure acquired from the sample deposited at 500°C shows that the film has a strong preferred orientation. The RBS results show that the concentration ratio of Ce and O approaches the normal chemical stoichiometry as the temperature is increased. The surface topography of the films revealed by AFM discloses that as the growth temperature is increased, the surface is less rough and the density of the islands becomes higher.