Oxygen diffusion in TiO2 films studied by electron and ion Rutherford backscattering

Publication date: 1 May 2017
Source:Thin Solid Films, Volume 629
Author(s): G.G. Marmitt, S.K. Nandi, D.K. Venkatachalam, R.G. Elliman, M. Vos, P.L. Grande
The diffusivity of oxygen in thin, sputter-deposited TiO2 films, as can be used in RRAMs, is measured using electron and ion backscattering techniques. The as-grown sample consisted of two layers (Ti¹⁶O2 and Ti¹⁸O2) and was annealed between 500°C and 900°C. The depth profiles of ¹⁸O, as measured with both techniques, were similar. The extent of diffusion was much larger than expected from the literature data for O diffusion in single-crystal rutile, suggesting that defects in the sputter-deposited film play an essential role in the diffusion process.