Role of fluorine in plasma nitridated ZrO2 thin films under irradiation

The role of fluorine in plasma-nitridated ZrO2 thin films under electron irradiation is investigated in situ by real-time high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Fluorine and nitrogen codoping can suppress the microstructure evolution during electron beam bombardment and the corresponding origin is probed and verified. The results obtained by irradiation with an ultraviolet laser show that plasma fluorination can effectively remove the dissociative N or O particles in the ZrO2 thin films which can escape from the interstitial sites under electron irradiation. The mechanism of the irradiation stability of the F and N codoped ZrO2 thin film is also discussed.