Nanocrystalline zirconium oxide thin films prepared by filtered cathodic vacuum arc

Zirconium oxide thin films were deposited at room temperature by using off-plane filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA). Deposition rate, film structure, compositional analysis and optical properties are studied as a function of working pressure. Deposition rate as high as 53 nm/min could be achieved. As increasing working pressure, the film structure changes from Zr-O solid solution, to monoclinic structure with preferred orientation and finally to randomly oriented nanocrystalline structure. The averaged crystal size increases with working pressure and is less than 15 nm. The ratio of O/Zr increases with working pressure as well as transmittance and good stoichiometric film could be achieved with high transmittance of 91% at high working pressure.