Method of forming a fluoride film

Abstract

A method for depositing films of a fluorinated compound is disclosed, wherein a reactive sputtering process allows the use of a metal or other non-fluorinated material as the target material. The process developed also utilizes XeF,as a vapor source, which provides fluorine for the formation of the fluorinated compound. Unlike reactive process gases, such as SF,and CF,, used in previous experiments attempting reactive sputtering of fluoride compounds, the XeF,vapor does not result in unwanted contamination due to a reactive gas cation, i.e., inclusions of carbon or sulfur. These, and other considerations, have allowed the development of a process for fabricating dense, optical quality fluoride films. At the same time, the material costs and handling expenses related to the XeF,source are also relatively low. The method described is ideally suited for the deposition of metal fluoride compounds for use in anti-reflection coatings, UV optical coatings, as well as various applications in the semiconductor, optoelectronics, and other industries.