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Formation of cubic boron nitride films by r.f. magnetron sputtering
Author(s) -
Jiang Liudi,
Fitzgerald A. G.,
Rose M. J.,
Lousa A.,
Gimeno S.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.1399
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , boron nitride , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , substrate (aquarium) , sputter deposition , sputtering , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , thin film , nitride , layer (electronics) , chemical engineering , chemistry , nanotechnology , chromatography , oceanography , geology , engineering
Boron nitride thin films have been deposited on silicon by tuned substrate r.f. magnetron sputtering from a sintered hexagonal BN target using a mixture of Ar (90%) and N 2 (10%) as sputtering gas at different substrate bias conditions. The deposited films have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Both FTIR and XPS results show that the formation of nearly pure cubic boron nitride films were achieved when the films were deposited by a two‐step process at a lower substrate bias voltage after the initial formation of the cubic boron nitride layer. Also, as indicated by FTIR measurements, this two‐step process caused a reduction of the residual stress in the deposited films and no re‐sputtering effects were present during the cubic BN growing process. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.