Correlation between <i>in situ</i> optical emission spectroscopy in a reactive Ar/O2 rf magnetron sputtering discharge and Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 thin film composition

Abstract

Lead zirconate titanate Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 (PZT) thin films have been deposited by rf magnetron sputtering on Si substrates from a metallic target of nominal composition Pb1.1(Zr0.4Ti0.6) in a reactive argon/oxygen gas mixture. During plasma deposition, in situ optical emission spectroscopy measurements show clearly a correlation between the evolution of characteristic atomic emission line intensities Zr—386.4 nm, Ti—399.9 nm, Pb—405.8 nm, and O—777.2 nm and the thin-film composition determined by a simultaneous use of Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and nuclear reaction analysis.