THE ELECTRICAL AND COMPOSITIONAL PROPERTIES OF AIN-SI INTERFACES

Aluminum nitride thin films on silicon were electrically evaluated as a possible electrical insulator. The films were prepared by atmospheric pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) over the temperature range from 300 to 500-degrees-C. The thickness and refractive index of the AlN films was determined by ellipsometry. The electrical and compositional properties of the films were examined by the capacitance-voltage (C-V), ac conductance, and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The results suggest that the index of refraction and the film compositions are strongly dependent on the deposition temperature. AlN films prepared at higher deposition temperatures by MOCVD have good quality as compared with bulk single crystal AlN. The electrical behavior of these films and their relationship to substrate temperature and composition is discussed.