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Formation of nanovoids/microcracks in high dose hydrogen implanted AlN
Author(s) -
Singh R.,
Scholz R.,
Christiansen S. H.,
Gösele U.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.200824159
Subject(s) - blisters , materials science , transmission electron microscopy , hydrogen , annealing (glass) , nitride , sapphire , nanocrystalline material , epitaxy , aluminium , agglomerate , composite material , metallurgy , nanotechnology , chemistry , layer (electronics) , optics , laser , physics , organic chemistry
Aluminium nitride (AlN) epitaxial layers grown on sapphire were implanted with 100 keV hydrogen, H 2 + ions with doses in the range of 5 × 10 16 cm –2 to 2.5 × 10 17 cm −2 and subsequently annealed at temperatures up to 800 °C in order to observe the formation of surface blisters. The implantation‐induced damage in AlN was analyzed by cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy, which revealed a band of defects extending from 330–550 nm from the surface of AlN. Higher magnification TEM images showed the formation of nanovoids that are distributed in the damage band. Upon annealing these nanovoids agglomerate leading to the formation of microcracks. Due to the overpressure of hydrogen trapped in the microcracks, surface blisters are eventually formed in the hydrogen implanted AlN. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)