Abstract

Long time annealing effects on the microstructures of the sol–gel-derived (ZrO₂)_0.92(RE₂O₃)_0.08 (RE = Sc, Y, Nd, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) and (ZrO₂)_0.92(Sc₂O₃)_0.08 − x(Y₂O₃)_x (x = 0.02–0.06) nanocrystalline thin films with the thickness of 0.6 µm on a Si(100) substrate were investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. After annealing at 800 °C for 21 days, these films showed distinguishable microstructural variations in lattice parameter and grain size along the rare earth series, and the nanoparticle size uniformity was decreased. Among the rare earth-stabilized zirconia thin films, (ZrO₂)_0.92(Y₂O₃)_0.08 and (ZrO₂)_0.92(Nd₂O₃)_0.08 films displayed the best microstructural thermal stability with the least lattice variation and grain growth on annealing. On the other hand, the as-deposited (ZrO₂)_0.92(Sc₂O₃)_0.08 − x(Y₂O₃)_x (x = 0.02–0.06) films exhibited better microstructural thermal stability than the (ZrO₂)_0.92(Sc₂O₃)_0.08 films.