Abstract
This paper presents the first deposition of metal chlorides by RF magnetron sputtering. By integrating the sputter chamber with an Ar-filled glovebox, films of hygroscopic chlorides can be synthesized and studied. The structure, composition, and morphology of FeCl3 and FeCl2 films were investigated as a function of deposition rate. In FeCl3 films, the deposition rate has a large impact on the crystallinity of as-deposited films regardless of the substrate used. At high deposition rates, 24 Å/s, FeCl3 films are crystalline with a preferred orientation along the 003-plane, while at low deposition rates, 0.5 Å/s, no crystalline peaks are observed for FeCl3. In FeCl2, the highest deposition rate achieved in this study was 0.2 Å/s which yields films with no crystalline peaks; therefore, Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of FeCl2. The deposition of iron chlorides by RF magnetron sputtering opens the way for the study of thin film metal halides to understand their growth, magnetic and electronic properties, and understand ion transport through their layered structures.
