A simple one-step solution deposition process for constructing high-performance amorphous zirconium oxide thin film

Abstract

Based on the magic substance dopamine (DA), a simple and effective one-step solution deposition strategy has been developed for constructing high-performance amorphous zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) nanocomposite thin film. DA can be auto-polymerized to form a polydopamine (PDA) coating, which adheres strongly to the silicon substrate and serves as an active platform to induce the subsequent deposition of ZrO₂. The obtained ZrO₂ nanocomposite thin films with the thickness of about one hundred nanometers presents outstanding mechanical and tribological performances even without a subsequent high-temperature annealing process. More importantly, the preparation process is definitely low-consumption and environmentally friendly. This work overcomes the claim that ZrO₂ films obtained by aqueous solution deposition process generally possess low mechanical properties and thus avoid the defects of focusing mainly on nature and performances of heat-treated and crystalline ZrO₂. Based on this work, it is believed that the as-deposited ZrO₂ nanocomposite film can be widely used as a protecting coating and lubricating material for micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and many other systems working in similar conditions.