Aluminum nitride films (AIN
x) containing various amount of nitrogen were prepared by an R. F. reactive sputtering. The deposition rate, electrical resistivity, crystal structure and chemical composition were observed systematically on the sputtered films prepared under the nitrogen partial pressures ranging from 1×10
-4 to 2.5×10
-2 Torr in argon-nitrogen mixed gas (total pressure was 2.5×10
-2 Torr).
The deposition rate of the films was found to decrease drastically at a critical partial pressure of nitrogen, 4×10
-3 Torr, while the resistivity of films began to increase gradually over the same critical pressure. X-ray diffraction measurement of the films prepared under various pressures of nitrogen was carried out. It was found that the structure of the films also began to change in the region of the critical pressure, namely, only the diffraction pattern from metallic Al was observed for the nitrogen partial pressures below 6×10
-3 Torr, then the diffraction pattern from AIN began to appear over 6×10
-3 Torr. Chemical compo-sition of the films determined by X-ray microanalysis showed the change corresponding to that of the crystal structure with the nitrogen pressure.
On the basis of the experimental data, discussion was made on the change of deposition rate of the films with nitrogen pressure by applying a theoretical model for the sputtering process of target surface, and on the correlation between the electrical resistivity and the crystal structure of the sputtered films.
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