AVS 46th International Symposium
    Thin Films Division Monday Sessions
       Session TF+VM-MoM

Paper TF+VM-MoM7
Effect of Ion-to-neutral Ratio and Ion Energy on Structure and Properties of Boron Nitride Thin Films

Monday, October 25, 1999, 10:20 am, Room 620

Session: Advances in Hard and Superhard Coatings I
Presenter: M.U. Guruz, Northwestern University
Authors: M.U. Guruz, Northwestern University
Y.W. Chung, Northwestern University
V.P. Dravid, Northwestern University
Correspondent: Click to Email
Boron nitride thin films were deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering using a B@sub 4@C target in a single cathode chamber. The films were grown on Si (001) wafers, held at ambient temperature. The energy of the ions arriving at the substrate surface was determined by the applied bias. Additionally, an external coil assembly was placed outside the chamber, allowing modification of the magnetic field around the substrate. By varying the field strength, the ion flux on the substrate was enhanced. Thus, the ion-to-neutral ratio and the ion energy were independently controlled during deposition. The effects of these two parameters on the resulting film microstructure were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nanoindentation. These results and the effects on the formation of cubic boron nitride will be presented.