Ion‐Beam‐Induced CVD: An Alternative Method of Thin Film Preparation

The ion‐beam‐induced chemical vapor deposition method for the preparation of thin films consists of the bombardment of a suitable substrate with O or N ions of relatively high energy while a flow of an organometallic precursor is directed onto its surface. Single and mixed oxides and nitride thin films can be prepared by this procedure. This paper describes the principles of the method, and presents some examples of thin films prepared with it (TiO 2 , PbTiO 3 , Al x Ti y O z , AlN, and SnO 2 ). Some characterization results of these thin films by different techniques are reported, with special emphasis on physical and electronic methods such as X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Other aspects, such as the preferential removal of C, H, and other impurity atoms from the precursors under the action of oxygen beams, or the possibility of performing lithographic depositions of these dielectric materials, are also considered.