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Properties of Si 3 N 4 and AIN Films Produced by Reactive Ion Plating and Gas Discharge Sputtering
Author(s) -
Monz K. H.,
Danh Nguyen Quang,
Huter M.,
Rille E. P.,
Pulker H. K.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
vakuum in forschung und praxis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.213
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1522-2454
pISSN - 0947-076X
DOI - 10.1002/vipr.19950070311
Subject(s) - sputtering , materials science , nitride , silicon nitride , sputter deposition , silicon , analytical chemistry (journal) , refractive index , thin film , deposition (geology) , optoelectronics , composite material , chemistry , nanotechnology , layer (electronics) , chromatography , paleontology , sediment , biology
Thin films of Silicon‐ and Aluminiumnitride were produced by Reactive Low Voltage Ion Plating and low pressure dc‐Magnetron Sputtering. The films show excellent adherence, high hardness and abrasion resistance, and are dense and homogeneous. Both processes, applied at optimum conditions, enable the production of films with nearly identical optical properties. Such optimized deposition conditions in both processes yielded a mean refractive index of n 550 = 2.05 ± 0.03 for Si 3 N 4 and of n 550 = 2.12 ± 0.01 for AIN films. The region of high optical transmission was found to be between 0.23 and 9.5μm (Si 3 N 4 ) and between 0.2 and 12.5 μm (AIN). In the visible range both metal nitride films are free of optical absorption (k <10 −3 ). These materials, together with their oxynitride phases, offer interesting applications for the deposition of optical multilayer systems with very high spectral stability.