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Initial growth of AlN on clean and oxidized iron studied by AES and EELS
Author(s) -
Malengreau F.,
Vermeersch M.,
Sporken R.,
Philippe L.,
Han B. Y.,
Caudano R.
Publication year - 1994
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.740220143
Subject(s) - auger electron spectroscopy , nitride , iron nitride , aluminium nitride , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , aluminium , phase (matter) , stoichiometry , crystallite , aluminium oxide , layer (electronics) , alloy , iron oxide , substrate (aquarium) , oxide , chemistry , metallurgy , nanotechnology , physics , oceanography , organic chemistry , chromatography , geology , nuclear physics
We have studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) the room temperature growth of aluminium nitride (AlN) at the surface of clean and oxidized polycrystalline iron. The films were deposited by reactive rf‐sputtering in an N 2 ‐Ar atmosphere. Very low coverages were possible thanks to a precise partial pressure controller based on electron impact emission spectroscopy (EIES). The AlN/Fe interface study has revealed the formation of an iron nitride at the surface of the substrate and of a compound close to AlN as a first monolayer. AlN clusters grow directly on this nitride layer and we did not detect the formation of any alloy between iron and aluminium. A modelization of the AES signal intensities suggests a Stranski‐Krastanov growth mode. For the oxidized iron, Auger lines showed an Fe 2 O 3 surface layer on an Fe 3 O 4 film oxide. The former oxide was reduced to Fe 3 O 4 by the incoming aluminium which forms a two‐phase film made of Al 2 O 3 and AlN resulting in an (AlN) x (Al 2 O 3 ) 1‐ x stoichiometry. The concentration of this oxide phase decreases after the diffusion of the oxygen stops. Pure AlN begins to grow on this two‐phase film.