DC magnetron sputtering of Si to form SiO2 in low-energy ion beam

Silicon dioxide (SiO2) films were deposited by magnetron sputtering and ion-beam oxidation (IBO) in separate zones at ambient temperature. The optical and structural characteristics of the films were analyzed by spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscope. The oxygen ratio in the ion beam and the energy of ion bombardment during deposition has strong influence on the optical and physical properties of SiO2 films. The experimental results indicated that the IBO method could finely manipulate the structure and properties of the growing films.