Deposition of hematite Fe2O3 thin film by DC pulsed magnetron and DC pulsed hollow cathode sputtering system

• Fe2O3 films with a hematite structure were deposited by a HIPIMS magnetron and a pulsed hollow cathode plasma jet.
• Ionization degree of sputtered particles were measured by modified QCM with a magnetic electron filter.
• The HiPIMS yielded very dense hematite Fe2O3 films with small grains.
• The hollow cathode yielded hematite Fe2O3 films with rough surface and big grain.

Semiconducting hematite Fe2O3 thin films were fabricated by means of reactive sputtering in a high power DC pulsed magnetron (HIPIMS) and in a DC pulsed hollow cathode plasma jet sputtering system. Fused silica slides (quartz) were used as substrates. Both plasma processes were monitored with the help of a quartz crystal monitor (QCM) that was also fitted with magnetic field electron suppression filter and biased collecting electrode. This set up measured the deposition rate and the ratio of ionized to neutral fluxes of depositing particles on the substrate during the coating process. The deposition methods were compared in terms of the properties of produced films such as crystalline structure, optical absorption and surface topography. The as-deposited hematite Fe2O3 thin films (without annealing) and after their thermal treatment (with annealing) were examined.