Structural and chemical analysis of annealed plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition aluminum nitride films
Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition was utilized to grow aluminum nitride (AlN) films on Si from trimethylaluminum and N2:H2 plasma at 200 °C. Thermal treatments were then applied on the films which caused changes in their chemical composition and nanostructure. These changes were observed to manifest in the refractive indices and densities of the films. The AlN films were identified to contain light element impurities, namely, H, C, and excess N due to nonideal precursor reactions. Oxygen contamination was also identified in the films. Many of the embedded impurities became volatile in the elevated annealing temperatures. Most notably, high amounts of H were observed to desorb from the…
In-situ annealing characterization of atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 in N2, H2 and vacuum atmospheres
Tarkista embargo, kun artikkeli julkaistu. Atomic-layer-deposited Al 2 O 3 films can be used for passivation, protective, and functional purposes in electronic devices. However, as-deposited, amorphous alumina is susceptible to chemical attack and corrosion during manufacturing and field-use. On the contrary, crystalline Al 2 O 3 is resistant against aggressive chemical treatments and corrosion. Here, high-temperature treatments in N 2 , H 2 , and vacuum were used to crystallize alumina which exhibited different crystalline phases. The annealing process was monitored continuously in situ by measuring the film temperature and surface reflectance to understand the crystallization kinetics. Ex…
Blistering mechanisms of atomic-layer-deposited AlN and Al2O3 films
Blistering of protective, structural, and functional coatings is a reliability risk pestering films ranging from elemental to ceramic ones. The driving force behind blistering comes from either excess hydrogen at the film-substrate interface or stress-driven buckling. Contrary to the stress-driven mechanism, the hydrogen-initiated one is poorly understood. Recently, it was shown that in the bulk Al-Al2O3 system, the blistering is preceded by the formation of nano-sized cavities on the substrate. The stress-and hydrogen-driven mechanisms in atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) films are explored here. We clarify issues in the hydrogen-related mechanism via high-resolution microscopy and show that at…