CHARACTERIZATION OF PULSED LASER DEPOSITED BORON-NITRIDE THIN-FILMS ON INP

A new technique for deposition of thin-film boron nitride (BN) from BN wafers has been demonstrated using a Q-switched ruby laser. The deposition rate was found to be∼7 Å/pulse at an energy density of 2.5 J cm -2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to confirm the film composition. Infrared absorption peaks were observed at 802, 1370, and 1614 cm-1 characteristic of B - N bonds. The films were found to have an indirect band gap of 4.1 eV with resistivity in excess of 1011 Ω cm and breakdown fields between 3.0×105 - 1.0×106 V cm-1. The dielectric constant of the films was in the range 3.19-3.28. The minimum interface state density on InP as obtained from C-V (1 MHz) analysis was typically 6.2×1010 cm-2 eV-1, which increased to 4.1×1011 cm-2 eV-1 after annealing at 200°C in argon. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed that this resulted in the development of micropores in the film.