US 12,435,408 B2
Method for improving the uniformity of rare earth nickelate thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering
Zhen Zhang, Xi'an (CN); Xurong Qiao, Xi'an (CN); and Jiahui Sun, Xi'an (CN)
Filed by Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an (CN)
Filed on Jan. 17, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/031,111.
Claims priority of application No. 202410486712.2 (CN), filed on Apr. 23, 2024.
Prior Publication US 2025/0188596 A1, Jun. 12, 2025
Int. Cl. C23C 14/54 (2006.01); C23C 14/08 (2006.01); C23C 14/34 (2006.01); C23C 14/35 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 14/54 (2013.01) [C23C 14/085 (2013.01); C23C 14/3492 (2013.01); C23C 14/35 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for improving uniformity of rare earth nickelate thin films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering, comprising the following steps:
install a RE (rare earth element metal) target, Ni target and substrate;
adjust a sputter angle of the Ni target toward the substrate, and then perform magnetron sputtering under a reaction gas to deposit an oxide film on the substrate, and obtain Ni element content data;
analyze content data of Ni element at corresponding sputter angles to select a sputter angle that realizes zero-gradient deposition of Ni element on the substrate surface;
adjust a sputter angle of the RE target toward the substrate, and then perform magnetron sputtering under a reaction gas to deposit an oxide film on the substrate, and obtain content data of the RE element;
analyze the content data of RE element at corresponding sputter angles to select a sputter angle that realizes zero-gradient deposition of RE element on the substrate surface;
according to the selected sputter angle, perform magnetron sputtering under a reaction gas to deposit a rare earth nickelate film RENiOx on the substrate,
wherein the zero-gradient deposition is a gradient formed by taking an element content at the center of the substrate as a reference value and wherein any change in content of said element along a radial direction is ≤1%/cm.