Effect of annealing temperature on quality and stoichiometry of HfO₂ thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

In this paper, the effects of various pre and post deposition parameters on the growth of HfO₂ thin films have been investigated. Detailed insights into the structural, morphological and compositional properties are quantified using suitable techniques such as Raman, XRD, AFM, and XPS. Raman studies indicate the occurrence of phase transition. XRD spectra of the pristine samples reveal amorphous nature whereas annealing improves the crystallinity. The AFM images show the high-quality aspect of the film that is uniform and crack-free. The probing of the core level orbit of Hf 4f is investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that suggests the formation of stoichiometric HfO₂ and exhibit a shift in binding energy and sub-oxide formation with an increase in temperature. (author)