Patent ID: 7208044
Filing Date: 2007-04-24
Classification: C30B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating a metal-oxide film upon a surface, the method comprising providing a substrate having a surface; depositing a crystalline precursor metal-nonmetal film on the surface via a physical vapor deposition method, wherein the precursor film comprises metal and nonmetal constituents, and the product film comprises metal and nonmetal constituents, wherein the metal constituents of the precursor film are selected from the group consisting of the lanthanide elements (Ln): Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu, and combinations, alloys, and doped substituents thereof; and the nonmetal constituents of the precursor film are selected from the group consisting of: H, C, N, F, P, S, Cl, Se, Br, Te, and combinations thereof, the nonmetal constituents of the precursor film comprise between 0 and 80% oxygen; and oxidizing the precursor film to yield a product metal-oxide film comprising metal constituents by heating the precursor to a temperature between 0 and 1000° C. in a controlled environment; and introducing an oxidizing agent into the environment, wherein the metal constituents of the product film are the same as the metal constituents of the precursor film; and a majority of the nonmetal constituents of the precursor film are exchanged for oxygen to yield the product film; and the product film is topotactic with the precursor film.