Abstract
Boron nitride (BN) thin films were deposited on monocrystalline Si(100) wafers using electron beam evaporation of boron with simultaneous bombardment by nitrogen and argon ions. The effect of film thickness on the resultant BN phase was investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). These techniques revealed the consecutive deposition of an initial 20 Å thick layer of amorphous BN, 20-50 Å of hexagonal BN having a layered structure, and a final layer of the polycrystalline cubic phase. The growth sequence of the layers is believed to result primarily from increasing biaxial compressive stresses. Favorable surface and interface energy and crystallographic relationships may also assist in the nucleation of the cubic and the hexagonal phases, respectively. The presence of the amorphous and hexagonal regions explains why there have been no reports of the growth of 100% cubic boron nitride on Si.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
L. Vel, G. Demazeau, and J. Etourneau, Mater. Sci. Eng. B10, 149 (1991).
O. Mishima, K. Era, J. Tanaka, and S. Yamaoka, Appl. Phys. Lett. 53, 962 (1988).
K. Inagawa, K. Watanabe, H. Ohsone, K. Saitoh, and A. Itoh, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A5, 2696 (1987).
Y. Osaka, M. Okamoto, and Y. Utsumi, in Low Energy Ion Beam and Plasma Modification of Materials, edited by J. M. E. Harper, K. Miyake, J. R. McNeil, and S. M. Gorbatkin (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 223, Pittsburgh, PA, 1991), p. 81.
N. Tanabe, T. Hayashi, and M. Iwaki, Diamond Relat. Mater. 1, 151 (1992).
H. Saitoh, T. Hirose, H. Matsui, Y. Hirotsu, and Y. Ichinose, Surf. Coat. Technol. 39/40, 265 (1989).
W. Kern and D. A. Puo-tinen, RCA Rev. 31, 187 (1970).
C.H. Carter, Jr., J.A. Edmond, J.W. Palmour, J. Ryu, H.J. Kim, and R. F. Davis, in Microscopic Identification of Electronic Defects in Semiconductors, edited by N. M. Johnson, S. G. Bishop, and G. D. Watkins (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 46, Pittsburgh, PA, 1985), p. 593([0-9]+)598.
D.J. Kester and R. Messier, J. Appl. Phys. 72, 504 (1992).
D.R. McKenzie (private communication).
D.R. McKenzie, W.D. McFall, W.G. Sainty, C.A. Davis, and R. E. Collins, Diamond Relat. Mater. (in press, 1993).
B.E. Williams, Ph.D. Dissertation, North Carolina State University, 1992.
R. F. Davis, Presentation at the 1991 Gordon Conference on Inorganic Thin Films.
J. Angus (private communication).
Z. Li, L. Wang, T. Suzuki, P. Pirouz, and J. C. Angus, in press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kester, D.J., Ailey, K.S., Davis, R.F. et al. Phase evolution in boron nitride thin films. Journal of Materials Research 8, 1213–1216 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1993.1213
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1993.1213