Plasma enhanced metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of amorphous aluminum nitride

Plasma enhanced deposition of amorphous aluminum nitride (AlN) using trimethylaluminum, hydrogen, and nitrogen was performed in a capacitively coupled plasma system. Temperature was varied from 350 to 550 degreesC, and pressure dependence of the film structure was investigated. Films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, Rutherford backscattering (RBS), ellipsometry, and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The films are amorphous in nature, as indicated by XRD. Variations in the refractive index were observed in ellipsometric measurements, which is explained by the incorporation of carbon in the films, and confirmed by RBS. Capacitance-voltage, conductance-voltage (G-V), and current-voltage measurements were performed to reveal bulk and interface electrical properties. The electrical properties showed marked dependence on processing conditions of the AlN films. Clear peaks as observed in the G-V characteristics indicated that the losses are predominantly due to interface states. The interface state density ranged between 10(10) and 10(11) eV(-1) cm(-2). Annealing in hydrogen resulted in lowering of interface state density values. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.