DEPOSITION OF AlN AND OXIDIZED AlN THIN-FILMS BY REACTIVE SPUTTERING: CORRELATION BETWEEN FILM GROWTH AND DEPOSITION PARAMETERS

A set of AlN films were deposited by reactive direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. Films were analyzed with X-ray diffraction and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). There is a correlation between deposition parameters and crystal growth. Depending on the deposition parameters, films can present a hexagonal würzite (P6mm) or cubic zinc-blend (Fm3m) microstructure. Oxygen appears to induce on films a degree of amorphous growth and a distortion of the lattice parameters. For the film with cubic microstructure, AES transitions detected near the surface level at 56 eV and 66 eV were attributed to aluminum-oxide (AlxOy), AlN, and metallic Al.