Comparison of aluminum nitride thin films prepared by magnetron sputter epitaxy in nitrogen and ammonia atmosphere

Balasubramanian Sundarapandian; Dat Q. Tran; Lutz Kirste; Patrik Straňák; Andreas Graff; Mario Prescher; Akash Nair; Mohit Raghuwanshi; Vanya Darakchieva; Plamen P. Paskov; Oliver Ambacher

doi:10.1063/5.0202161

Comparison of aluminum nitride thin films prepared by magnetron sputter epitaxy in nitrogen and ammonia atmosphere

Balasubramanian Sundarapandian, Dat Q. Tran, Lutz Kirste, Patrik Straňák, Andreas Graff, Mario Prescher, Akash Nair, Mohit Raghuwanshi, Vanya Darakchieva, Plamen P. Paskov, Oliver Ambacher

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Wurtzite-type aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films exhibiting high thermal conductivity, large grain size, and low surface roughness are desired for both bulk acoustic wave and surface acoustic wave resonators. In this work, we use ammonia (NH₃) assisted reactive sputter deposition of AlN to significantly improve these properties. The study shows a systematic change in the structural, thermal, and morphological properties of AlN grown in nitrogen (N₂) and N₂ + NH₃ atmosphere. The study demonstrates that NH₃ assisted AlN sputtering facilitates 2D growth. In addition, the study presents a growth model relating the 2D growth to improve the mobility of aluminum (Al) and nitrogen (N) ad-atoms in NH₃ atmosphere. Consequently, the thermal conductivity and roughness improve by ≈ 76%, and ≈ 35%, while the grain size increases by ≈ 78%.

Original language	English
Article number	182101
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	124
Issue number	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0202161
Publication status	Published - 2024 Apr 29

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Materials Chemistry
Condensed Matter Physics (including Material Physics, Nano Physics)

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10.1063/5.0202161Licence: CC BY

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title = "Comparison of aluminum nitride thin films prepared by magnetron sputter epitaxy in nitrogen and ammonia atmosphere",

abstract = "Wurtzite-type aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films exhibiting high thermal conductivity, large grain size, and low surface roughness are desired for both bulk acoustic wave and surface acoustic wave resonators. In this work, we use ammonia (NH3) assisted reactive sputter deposition of AlN to significantly improve these properties. The study shows a systematic change in the structural, thermal, and morphological properties of AlN grown in nitrogen (N2) and N2 + NH3 atmosphere. The study demonstrates that NH3 assisted AlN sputtering facilitates 2D growth. In addition, the study presents a growth model relating the 2D growth to improve the mobility of aluminum (Al) and nitrogen (N) ad-atoms in NH3 atmosphere. Consequently, the thermal conductivity and roughness improve by ≈ 76%, and ≈ 35%, while the grain size increases by ≈ 78%.",

author = "Balasubramanian Sundarapandian and Tran, {Dat Q.} and Lutz Kirste and Patrik Stra{\v n}{\'a}k and Andreas Graff and Mario Prescher and Akash Nair and Mohit Raghuwanshi and Vanya Darakchieva and Paskov, {Plamen P.} and Oliver Ambacher",

year = "2024",

month = apr,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1063/5.0202161",

language = "English",

volume = "124",

journal = "Applied Physics Letters",

issn = "0003-6951",

publisher = "American Institute of Physics (AIP)",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparison of aluminum nitride thin films prepared by magnetron sputter epitaxy in nitrogen and ammonia atmosphere

AU - Sundarapandian, Balasubramanian

AU - Tran, Dat Q.

AU - Kirste, Lutz

AU - Straňák, Patrik

AU - Graff, Andreas

AU - Prescher, Mario

AU - Nair, Akash

AU - Raghuwanshi, Mohit

AU - Darakchieva, Vanya

AU - Paskov, Plamen P.

AU - Ambacher, Oliver

PY - 2024/4/29

Y1 - 2024/4/29

N2 - Wurtzite-type aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films exhibiting high thermal conductivity, large grain size, and low surface roughness are desired for both bulk acoustic wave and surface acoustic wave resonators. In this work, we use ammonia (NH3) assisted reactive sputter deposition of AlN to significantly improve these properties. The study shows a systematic change in the structural, thermal, and morphological properties of AlN grown in nitrogen (N2) and N2 + NH3 atmosphere. The study demonstrates that NH3 assisted AlN sputtering facilitates 2D growth. In addition, the study presents a growth model relating the 2D growth to improve the mobility of aluminum (Al) and nitrogen (N) ad-atoms in NH3 atmosphere. Consequently, the thermal conductivity and roughness improve by ≈ 76%, and ≈ 35%, while the grain size increases by ≈ 78%.

AB - Wurtzite-type aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films exhibiting high thermal conductivity, large grain size, and low surface roughness are desired for both bulk acoustic wave and surface acoustic wave resonators. In this work, we use ammonia (NH3) assisted reactive sputter deposition of AlN to significantly improve these properties. The study shows a systematic change in the structural, thermal, and morphological properties of AlN grown in nitrogen (N2) and N2 + NH3 atmosphere. The study demonstrates that NH3 assisted AlN sputtering facilitates 2D growth. In addition, the study presents a growth model relating the 2D growth to improve the mobility of aluminum (Al) and nitrogen (N) ad-atoms in NH3 atmosphere. Consequently, the thermal conductivity and roughness improve by ≈ 76%, and ≈ 35%, while the grain size increases by ≈ 78%.

U2 - 10.1063/5.0202161

DO - 10.1063/5.0202161

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85192238024

SN - 0003-6951

VL - 124

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 18

M1 - 182101

ER -

Comparison of aluminum nitride thin films prepared by magnetron sputter epitaxy in nitrogen and ammonia atmosphere

Abstract

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