Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-r5zm4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-23T08:31:47.918Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Changes in Optical Transmittance of Aluminum Nitride thin Films Exposed to Air

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

Yoshifumi Sakuragi
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20 Hashirimizu, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239, Japan
Yoshihisa Watanabe
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20 Hashirimizu, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239, Japan
Yoshikazu Nakamura
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20 Hashirimizu, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239, Japan
Yoshiki Amamoto
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20 Hashirimizu, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239, Japan
Get access

Abstract

Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films have been synthesized by ion-beam assisted deposition method and the influence of air-exposure on the optical transmittance has been studied. The kinetic energy of nitrogen ion beam was kept at 0.1 or 1.5 keV under the constant current density. Synthesized films have been exposed to controlled air (23 °C and RH; 50%) and optical transmission spectrum from 190 to 2200 nm has been measured by UV-visible spectrometer every week. Surface morphology of the films has been observed with an optical microscope (OM). The optical transmittance has not changed drastically up to one year. Observations by OM show that round features of some microns were produced on the surface after about 25 weeks exposure. These substances seem to be reaction products between AlN and water in air.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1] Yim, W. M., Stofko, E. J., Zanzucchi, P. J., Pankove, J. I., Ettenberg, M., and Gilbert, S. L., J. Appl. Phys. 44, p. 292 (1973).Google Scholar
[2] Gordon, R. G., Riaz, U., and Hoffman, D. M., J. Mater. Res. 7, p. 1679 (1992).Google Scholar
[3] Krishnaswamy, S. V., Hester, W. A., Szedon, J. R., Francombe, M. H., and Driscoll, M. M., Thin Solid Films 125, p. 291 (1985).Google Scholar
[4] Ramos, M. M., Almeida, J. B., Ferreira, M. I. C., and Dos Santos, M. P., Thin Solid Films 176, p. 219 (1989).Google Scholar
[5] Legrand, P. B., Dauchot, J. P., and Hecq, M., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 10, p. 45 (1992).Google Scholar
[6] Zarwasch, R., Rille, E., and Pulker, H. K., J. Appl. Phys. 71, p. 5275 (1992).Google Scholar
[7] Seki, K., Xu, X., Okabe, H., Frye, J. M., and Halpern, J. B., Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, p. 2234 (1992).Google Scholar
[8] Windischmann, H., Thin Solid Films 154, p. 159 (1987).Google Scholar
[9] Wang, X-D., Hipps, K. W., Dickinson, J. T., and Mazur, U., J. Mater. Res. 9, p. 1449 (1994).Google Scholar
[10] Martin, P., Netterfield, R., Kinder, T. and Bendavid, A., Appl. Optics 31, p. 6732 (1992)Google Scholar
[11] Young, C.-D and Duh, J.-G., J. Mater. Sci. 30, p. 185 (1995).Google Scholar
[12] Hatwar, T. K., Shin, S. C. and Stinson, D. G., IEEE Tras, Magnetics MAG–22, p. 946 (1986).Google Scholar
[13] Watanabe, Y., Nakamura, Y., Hirayama, S., and Naota, Y. in Polycrystalline Thin Films: Structure, Texture, Properties and Applications II. edited by Frost, H. J., Parker, M. A., Ross, C. A. and Holm, E. A. (Mater. Res. Soc. Proc. 403, Pittsburgh, PA, 1996), p.539544.Google Scholar