Highly self-oriented growth of (020) and (002) monoclinic HfO2 thick films using laser chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Monoclinic hafnia (m-HfO2) films were prepared on polycrystalline AlN substrates via thermal and laser chemical vapor deposition (thermal CVD and laser CVD). Highly self-oriented growth of (020) and (002) m-HfO2 films was demonstrated at a high deposition rate. Films prepared using thermal CVD exhibited a porous microstructure and no preferred orientation, whereas those prepared using laser CVD exhibited significant proportions of (020) and (002)-oriented m-HfO2. The (020) and (002) orientations were observed to be as high as 90% and 98%, respectively. The (002)-oriented m-HfO2 film exhibited a columnar structure with a feather-like texture in cross-section, and with a pyramidal faceted surface. Deposition rates of the (002)-oriented m-HfO2 films reached 67 μm h−1, approximately 40 times greater than previously reported, thermal-CVD-grown m-HfO2 films.