High-speed deposition of tetragonal-ZrO₂-dispersed SiO₂ nanocomposite films by laser chemical vapor deposition

Tetragonal-ZrO₂ (t-ZrO₂)-dispersed amorphous SiO₂ composite films were prepared by laser chemical vapor deposition at high deposition rates of 40-300 μm h^-1. Without SiO₂ the films prepared at deposition temperatures of 869-1246 K contained monoclinic ZrO₂. ZrO₂ was stabilized in its tetragonal phase in an amorphous SiO₂ matrix at deposition temperatures of 867-1170 K. The t-ZrO₂ particle size decreased from 21 to 11 nm with increasing deposition temperature. In the amorphous SiO₂ matrix, t-ZrO₂ nanoparticles formed a network structure at lower deposition temperatures, whereas the t-ZrO₂ nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed at higher deposition temperatures.