Effect of 3C-SiC buffer layer on the characteristics of AlN films supttered on Si Substrates

3C-SiC 버퍼층이 Si 기판위에 스퍼터링된 AlN 막의 특성에 미치는 영향

Aluminum nitride (AIN) thin films were deposited on a polycrystalline 3C-SiC intermediate layer by a pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering system. Characteristics of the AIN/SiC heterostructures were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The columnar structure of AIN thin films was observed by FE-SEM. The surface roughness of AlN films on the 3C-SiC buffer layer was measured using AFM. The XRD pattern of AlN films on SiC buffer layers was highly oriented at (002). Full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve near (002) reflections was $1.3^{\circ}$. The infrared absorbance spectrum indicated that the residual stress of AIN thin films grown on SiC buffer layers was nearly negligible. The 3C-SiC intermediate layers are promising for the realization of nitride based electronic and mechanical devices.