AVS 51st International Symposium
    Thin Films Monday Sessions
       Session TF-MoP

Paper TF-MoP29
Microstructural Evolution and Properties of the AlN Thin Films prepared under Different Processing Parameters

Monday, November 15, 2004, 5:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: C.-C. Wang, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Authors: C.-C. Wang, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
M.H. Shiao, National Science Council, Taiwan
C.-J. Lu, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
F.S. Shieu, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Correspondent: Click to Email
Polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films with wurtzite structure were deposited on silicon and glass substrates by an unbalanced magnetron (UBM) sputtering system equipped with a pulse dc power supply. Microstructure and chemistry of the AlN-coated substrates under different pulse power and deposition time were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical transmission property of the AlN-coated glass was investigated by an UV/VIS spectrophotometer. XRD results show that the thin films exhibit enhanced (002) preferred orientation at higher pulse power and longer deposition time. It is also obtained that the AlN films have a columnar structure and that the size of the columns increases with the distance from the substrate and the deposition time, as revealed by FE-SEM and TEM. AFM analysis indicates that the surface roughness of the coatings increases with the pulse power and the deposition time. Furthermore, EDS analysis gives the chemical composition of the coatings as well as the percentage content of the elements. In addition, the energy band gap of the AlN films was evaluated to be 3.8-4.2 eV from the optical transmission spectra.