Growth of erbium dihydride films under low hydrogen pressure by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract

Erbium dihydride thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition on Si(100) substrates using erbium target under different low hydrogen pressures. The properties of these films were examined by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. Surface morphology reveals the smooth surface of these films (RMS: from 0.503 to 2.849 nm). The presence of obviously-broadened peaks for diffraction planes (111) suggests a presence of very tiny crystallites distributed along a preferred crystallographic orientation. Transmission electron microscopy investigations confirmed the formation of tiny crystallites due to the implantation of erbium ions. Due to the increase of nominal H concentration, the intensity of the broad absorbance from 190–260 nm increased.

Keywords

thin films / pulsed laser deposition / X-ray diffractometer / transmission electron microscopy

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