A Study on the Fabrication and Structural Evaluation of AlN Thin Films

AlN thin films were deposited by using a two-facing-targets type sputtering system (TFTS), and their deposition characteristics, microstructure and texture were investigated. Total gas pressure was kept constant at 0.4 Pa and the partial pressures of nitrogen, $PN_2$ (($N_2$ pressure)/($Ar+N_2$ pressure)) varied from 0 to 0.4 Pa. The texture of the film cross-sections and surface morphology were observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The crystallographic orientation of the films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Deposition of AlN film depends on $N_2$ partial pressure. The best preferred oriented AlN thin films can be deposited at a nitrogen partial pressure of $PN_2$ = 0.52. As-deposited AlN films show preferred orientation and columnar structure, and the grAlN size of AlN films increases with increasing sputtering current.