Aqueous solutions of tetramethylammonium (TMA) salts of the hexatantalate Lindqvist ion yield high quality tantalum oxide films with densities approaching 100% of those produced via vapor deposition. In this study, we examine how the reaction pathway of peroxo hexatantalate precursors to Ta2O5 films differs from the corresponding Lindqvist precursor. The peroxo species exist across a broader pH range with lower TMA concentrations – chemical features that support enhanced cluster cross linking during film formation. Temperature-programmed desorption and thin-film Raman spectroscopy inform peroxo ligand disproportionation, while X-ray reflectivity and spectroscopic ellipsometry reveal thin-film morphology and optical properties. The results are combined to suggest principles that guide optimum conversion of hexatantalate clusters to dense Ta2O5 films.

Film formation from peroxo hexatantalate precursors

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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