Role of laser pulse duration and gas pressure in deposition of AlN thin films

We investigated the relative merits and limits of pulsed laser deposition from AlN targets in vacuum and low-pressure nitrogen in obtaining stoichiometric and crystalline aluminum nitride thin films. We used two UV excimer laser sources (lambda =248 nm): a nanosecond system (tau (FWHM)=30 ns) and, a subpicosecond (tau (FWHM)=450 fs) system. The obtained structures were characterized by x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy in cross section, selected area electron diffraction, and profilometry. We demonstrated that the best results are obtained with the sub-ps laser source in vacuum and in low pressure nitrogen when the AlN thin films are very pure, crystalline, clearly exhibiting a tendency to epitaxy. Metallic Al is present in the films deposited with the ns laser source. We believe this is an effect of the gradual decomposition of AlN inside the crater on the target surface under multipulse laser irradiation. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.