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Chemical vapor deposition of aluminum nitride thin films

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Abstract

The atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition of aluminum nitride coatings from hexakis(dimethylamido)dialuminum, Al2(N(CH3)2)6, and ammonia precursors is reported. The films were characterized by ellipsometry, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering, and forward recoil spectrometry. The films were deposited at 100–500 °C with growth rates up to 1500 Å/min. The films showed good adhesion to silicon, glass, and quartz substrates and were chemically inert. Rutherford backscattering analysis revealed that the N/Al ratio was 1.15 ± 0.05 for films deposited at 100–200 °C and 1.05 ± 0.05 for those deposited at 300–500 °C. Films deposited at 100–200 °C had refractive indexes in the range 1.65–1.80 whereas indexes for films deposited at 300–400 °C were 1.86–2.04. The films were transparent in the visible region. The optical bandgap varied from 5.0 eV for films deposited at 100 °C to 5.77 eV for those deposited at 500 °C. Films deposited at 100–200 °C were amorphous whereas those deposited at 300–500 °C were polycrystalline.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, 02138, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Roy G. Gordon & Umar Riaz

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, 77204, Houston, Texas, USA

    David M. Hoffman

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  1. Roy G. Gordon
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  2. Umar Riaz
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  3. David M. Hoffman
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Gordon, R.G., Riaz, U. & Hoffman, D.M. Chemical vapor deposition of aluminum nitride thin films. Journal of Materials Research 7, 1679–1684 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1992.1679

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1992.1679

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