Metal film deposition by laser breakdown chemical vapor deposition

Dielectric breakdown of gas mixtures can be used to deposit thin films by chemical vapor deposition with appropriate control of flow and pressure conditions to suppress gas-phase nucleation and particle formation. Using a pulsed CO2 laser operating at 10.6 mu where there is no significant resonant absorption in any of the source gases, homogeneous films from several gas-phase precursors have been sucessfully deposited by gas-phase laser pyrolysis. Nickel and molybdenum from the respective carbonyls representing decomposition chemistry and tungsten from the hexafluoride representing reduction chemistry have been demonstrated, in each case the gas precursor is buffered with argon to reduce the partial pressure of the reactants and to induce breakdown. Films have been characterized by Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, pull tests, and resistivity measurements. The highest quality films have resulted from the nickel depositions. Detailed x-ray diffraction analysis of these films yields a very small domain size consistent with the low temperature of the substrate and the formation of metastable nickel carbide. Transmission electron microscopy supports this analysis.