Microstructure and Optical Properties of Aluminum Nitride Thin Films

1995 ◽  
Vol 403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihisa Watanabe ◽  
Yoshikazu Nakamura ◽  
Shigekazu Hirayama ◽  
Yuusaku Naota

AbstractPolycrystalline aluminum nitride (AIN) thin films have been synthesized by ion-beam assisted deposition method and the effect of ion beam energy on the film structure and optical properties has been studied. The kinetic energy of nitrogen ion beam was varied from 0.05 to 1.5 keV under the constant current density. Microstructure of films was examined by thin film X ray diffraction (TFXRD) and optical transmission spectrum from 220 to 2200 nm was measured by UV-visible spectrometer. The TFXRD studies show that the (00*02) plane of hexagonal AIN grows preferentially with the ion beam energy of 0.05 keV and the intensity of the (10*0) and (10*1) planes becomes strong with increasing the ion beam energy. The optical measurements reveal that the wavy structures due to the interference effect are observed in the transmission spectra and the wavy pattern decreases with increasing the ion beam energy, resulting in the decrease of refractive index.

1996 ◽  
Vol 449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshifumi Sakuragi ◽  
Yoshihisa Watanabe ◽  
Yoshikazu Nakamura ◽  
Yoshiki Amamoto

ABSTRACTAluminum nitride (AlN) thin films have been synthesized by ion-beam assisted deposition method and the influence of air-exposure on the optical transmittance has been studied. The kinetic energy of nitrogen ion beam was kept at 0.1 or 1.5 keV under the constant current density. Synthesized films have been exposed to controlled air (23 °C and RH; 50%) and optical transmission spectrum from 190 to 2200 nm has been measured by UV-visible spectrometer every week. Surface morphology of the films has been observed with an optical microscope (OM). The optical transmittance has not changed drastically up to one year. Observations by OM show that round features of some microns were produced on the surface after about 25 weeks exposure. These substances seem to be reaction products between AlN and water in air.


2001 ◽  
Vol 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuichi Miyabe ◽  
Masami Aono ◽  
Nobuaki Kitazawa ◽  
Yoshihisa Watanabe

ABSTRACTAluminum nitride (AlN) thin films with columnar and granular structures were prepared by ion-beam assisted deposition method by changing nitrogen ion beam energy, and the effects of the film microstructure and film thickness on their microhardness were studied by using a nano-indentation system with the maximum force of 3 mN. For the columnar structure film of 600 nm in thickness, the microhardness is found to be approximately 24 GPa when the normalized penetration depth to the film thickness is about 0.1. For the granular structure film of 700 nm in thickness, the microhardness is found to be approximately 14 GPa. These results reveal that the microhardness of the AlN films strongly depends on the film microstructure, which can be controlled by regulating the nitrogen ion beam energy.


1987 ◽  
Vol 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Targove ◽  
L J. Lingg ◽  
J. P. Lehan ◽  
C. K. Hwangbo ◽  
H. A. Macleod ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAluminum nitride thin films have been deposited by ion-assisted deposition. Aluminum was electron-beam evaporated onto substrates with simultaneous nitrogen ion bombardment. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry showed that nitrogen-to-aluminum ratios of one or greater could be achieved with sufficient nitrogen ion fluxes. This excess nitrogen apparently degrades the optical properties of the films in the visible. Annealing at 500°C improves the optical properties drastically at the expense of a slight oxygen diffusion into the films. Finally, aluminum oxynitride films were deposited by adding an oxygen backfill to the vacuum chamber during deposition. These films had very similar optical properties to the annealed nitride films.


Author(s):  
Олег Васильевич Девицкий ◽  
Александр Александрович Кравцов ◽  
Александр Сергеевич Пащенко ◽  
Игорь Александрович Сысоев

Представлены результаты экспериментального исследования влияния термического отжига на структуру, морфологию поверхности и оптические свойства тонких пленок нитрида алюминия на сапфире. Тонкие пленки нитрида алюминия на сапфире толщиной 200 нм отжигались на воздухе и в атмосфере азота при остаточном давлении газов в вакуумной камере установки ионно-лучевого осаждения не менее 100 Па при температуре 850 °C. Установлено, что при термическом отжиге пленок нитрида алюминия на сапфире в атмосфере азота происходит уменьшение среднеквадратичной шероховатости пленок до 0,8 нм, увеличение коэффициента пропускания в диапазоне длин волн 300 -1100 нм вплоть до 96 %, а также повышение стехиометрии пленок. Показано, что для пленок нитрида алюминия на сапфире, отожжённых на воздухе, происходит окисление нитрида алюминия с образованием аморфного оксида алюминия при температуре 850 °C. Результаты энергодисперсионного анализа показали полное отсутствие азота на поверхности этих пленок. Снижение коэффициента пропускания во всем диапазоне длин волн для пленок AlN, отожжённых на воздухе, делает их не пригодными для применения в оптоэлектронике. Морфология поверхности этих пленок представляет собой массив остроконечных образований с максимальной высотой 190,7 нм и среднеарифметической шероховатостью поверхности 3,7 нм. The results of an experimental study of the effect of thermal annealing on the structure, surface morphology and optical properties of thin films of aluminum nitride on sapphire are presented. Thin films of aluminum nitride on sapphire with a thickness of 200 nm were annealed in air and in a nitrogen atmosphere at a residual gas pressure in the vacuum chamber of the ion-beam deposition unit of no less than 100 Pa at a temperature of 850 °C. It was found that thermal annealing of aluminum nitride films on sapphire in a nitrogen atmosphere leads to a decrease in the root mean square roughness of the films to 0,8 nm, an increase in the transmittance in the wavelength range of 300 -1100 nm up to 96 %, and an increase in the stoichiometry of the films. It is shown that for aluminum nitride films annealed in air on sapphire, aluminum nitride is oxidized to form amorphous aluminum oxide at a temperature of 850 °C. The results of energy dispersive analysis showed the complete absence of nitrogen on the surface of these films. A decrease in the transmittance over the entire wavelength range for films AlN annealed in air makes them unsuitable for use in optoelectronics. The surface morphology of these films is an array of pointed formations with a maximum height 190,7 nm and an arithmetic mean surface roughness 3,7 nm.


2000 ◽  
Vol 647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuichi Miyabe ◽  
Toshiyuki Okawa ◽  
Nobuaki Kitazawa ◽  
Yoshihisa Watanabe ◽  
Yoshikazu Nakamura

AbstractAluminum nitride (AlN) thin films were prepared by ion-beam assisted deposition method, and the influence of the nitrogen ion beam energy on their microstructure and mechanical properties was studied by changing the ion beam energy from 0.1 to 1.5 keV. Films prepared with a low-energy ion beam show a columnar structure, while films prepared with a high-energy ion beam show a granular structure. The film hardness is found to decrease with increasing nitrogen ion beam energy. It is also found that the film hardness does not change drastically after annealing in nitrogen atmosphere at 500 °C, yielding the residual stress relaxation. It is proposed that the film hardness is dependent on the film microstructure, which can be controlled with the nitrogen ion beam energy, rather than the residual stress in the films.


1989 ◽  
Vol 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Carosella ◽  
E.P. Donovan ◽  
G.K. Hubler ◽  
A.E. Skowronek

ABSTRACTThe annealing behavior of the optical properties of boron nitride films (BxN1-x) is described for films fabricated by ion beam assisted deposition. The data are needed for the precise manufacture of optical filters, where the index of refraction must be predicted from deposition parameters and film annealing history.The reflection of homogeneous samples deposited at room temperature on (100) silicon substrates was measured from 400 to 3125 nm. to obtain the wavelength dependence of the index of refraction as a function of film nitrogen content. Nitrogen atom fraction was varied from 0.325 to 0.5 by variation of the incident of nitrogen ion beam current to evaporant boron flux ratio. The films were annealed in argon at 500 C and 700 C, and the optical measurements repeated after each anneal. The index of refraction obtained for the annealed films was used to design a narrow band optical reflection filter at 1060 nm. The filter, constructed by sinusoidally varying the index of refraction of the BxN1-x film by varying ‘x’, performed as designed.


1986 ◽  
Vol 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. C. Goltsos ◽  
A. V. Nurmikko ◽  
D. L. Partin

AbstractPhotoluminescence, transmission, and reflectance measurements have yielded information about the states defining an optical gap in thin films and superlattices based on the (Pb,Eu)Te system, including the limit of high Eu concentration. Magneto-optical measurements show the presence of finite spin exchange processes at low Eu-concentrations.


2012 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
pp. 1609-1614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hardeep Thakur ◽  
K. K. Sharma ◽  
Ravi Kumar ◽  
Pardeep Thakur ◽  
Yogesh Kumar ◽  
...  

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