Influence of temperature and ion kinetic energy on surface morphology of CeO₂ films prepared by dual plasma deposition

The effects of the substrate temperature and ion impact energy on the surface roughness and morphology of insulating cerium oxide films fabricated by dual plasma deposition were investigated. Cerium oxide films were synthesized on Si(1 0 0) substrate, and the influence of the substrate temperature and applied voltage on the surface roughness was systematically studied. Our results indicate that the roughness of the deposited films decreased when the substrate temperature was increased, probably because of enhanced surface diffusion of the adatoms. The ion kinetic energy had a similar effect as the substrate temperature, and it is believed that a higher ion kinetic energy also improves the surface diffusion of adatoms. It is found that a direct-current voltage applied to the substrate could lead to a rougher surface, whereas an appropriate alternating-current voltage gave rise to a smoother topography.