Preparation and characterization of Cd2Nb2O7 thin films on Si substrates

Thin Cd2Nb2O7 films were grown on single-crystal p-type SiO2/Si substrates by the metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) technique. The films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy, and showed a single phase (cubic pyrochlore), a crack-free spherical grain structure, and nanoparticles with a mean size of about 68 nm. A Cauchy model was also used in order to obtain the thickness and index of refraction of the stack layers (transparent layer/SiO2/Si) by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The dielectric constant (K) of the films was calculated to be about 25 from the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements.