AVS 47th International Symposium
    Thin Films Tuesday Sessions
       Session TF-TuP

Paper TF-TuP18
Synthesis of Cubic Boron Nitride Films on Ion Implanted Silicon Substrates

Tuesday, October 3, 2000, 5:30 pm, Room Exhibit Hall C & D

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: Q. Li, City University of Hong Kong, China
Authors: Q. Li, City University of Hong Kong, China
Z.F. Zhou, City University of Hong Kong, China
I. Bello, City University of Hong Kong, China
C.S. Lee, City University of Hong Kong, China
S.T. Lee, City University of Hong Kong, China
Correspondent: Click to Email
Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) films were prepared by radiofrequency (rf) magnetron sputtering of a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) target in Ar/N@sub2@ mixtures. The boron nitride films were deposited on chemically cleaned and in-situ presputtered silicon substrates. The substrates were implanted by boron, nitrogen and nickel ions and their combinations. During deposition, the substrates were pulsed biased and heated to 600 °C. The synthesized c-BN films showed good adherence to the substrate and exhibited phase purity over 90 % as determined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Atomic scale analysis, using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), showed nanocrystalline boron nitride structure. Cubic boron nitride phase grew both on the silicon substrates directly and the top of transition h-BN layers. The presented c-BN synthesis reduced the film stress as indicated by the beam bending technique and shift of the absorption peak of TO mode in FTIR spectra. The implanted species acted as active sites for film/substrate interfacial reaction and contributed to the stress reduction. The experimental results showed that the film stress was tailored by the presented novel method established on interfacial engineering which in return yielded high quality c-BN films.