Growth of hafnium dioxide thin films by MOCVD using a new series of cyclopentadienyl hafnium compounds

Thin films of HfO2 are grown by metal-organic (MO)CVD on Si(001) and fused quartz substrates in the temperature range 400-500 °C, using a new series of bis-cyclopentadienyl bis-amino-alkoxide hafnium precursors, namely [(C5H5)2Hf{OC(CH3)2CH2N(CH3)2}2] and [(C5H5)2Hf{OCH(CH3)CH2N(CH3)2}2], stable in air because of their strong coordination to the metal center. The films obtained are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Monoclinic phase HfO2 (baddeleyite) films, characterized by a correct stoichiometric ratio and a granular surface morphology with a roughness/thickness ratio that decreases with increasing deposition rate, are obtained.