Properties of YSZ thin films deposited by e-beam technique

In the present study yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were deposited on the Alloy-600, optical quartz and porous Ni–YSZ substrates using e-beam deposition technique controlling deposition parameters: substrate temperature and electron gun power. These parameters are influencing the thin film deposition mechanism. The dependence of substrate temperature and electron gun power on thin film ionic conductivity, structure and surface morphology was investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that electron gun power has influence on the crystallite size and growth of YSZ films. Dominating dispersion in the deposited YSZ thin films (substrate temperature T = 250 °C, e-beam gun power P = 0.9 kW) relates to ionic transport in the crystallites in the measured frequencies and temperature ranges. The measured values of conductivity (9.6 ÷ 41.2 × 10− 4 Sm− 1) and activation energies of conductivity (0.87 ÷ 1.1 eV) at 387 °C temperatures are typical to the polycrystalic ZrO2 — 8 mol% Y2O3 compound. The conductivity values of crystallites of YSZ thin films and ceramic are similar. To find out about the stability of formed YSZ thin films and to understand the influence of high temperature on crystallite size was done thermal annealing at 1100 °C temperature. It was found that crystallite sizes increases in size after annealing (3 ÷ 18 nm) and that depends on substrate temperature and e-beam gun power during the formation of YSZ thin films and crystallographic orientation of crystallite.