Pulsed Dc Sputtering Of Highly C-Axis Aln Film On Top Of Si (111) Substrate

Herein, pulsed DC sputtering of the AlN film on top of the Si (111) substrate is reported on. First, major articles on the reactive sputtering of AlN film on top of Si (111) substrate that were published in the past 30 years are tabulated. Then, a sputtering recipe to produce a consistent and high-crystal-quality (as measured by the full width at half maximum [FWHM] of rocking curve) AlN film across varying substrate temperatures (250-450 degrees C) and sputtering powers (1200-2400 W) is proposed. In addition, the influence of both parameters to in-plane stress is demonstrated, in agreement with similar trends that have been reported in the literature for AlN films on other substrates. The best sample is produced at a substrate temperature of 350 degrees C and sputtering power of 1800 W, resulting in FWHM of rocking curve of 1.84 degrees, surface roughness of 1 nm, and in-plane stress of +300 MPa. The recipe herein is beneficial for integration of AlN thin film in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor and micro-electromechanical system processes.