EFFECTS OF DEPOSITION PARAMETERS ON THE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF RF-SPUTTERED BORON-NITRIDE

Boron nitride films are deposited by rf reactive sputtering. Structural and optical properties of the films are studied as a function of deposition parameters. The films show optical characteristics similar to those of hexagonal boron nitride. The ratio of boron to nitrogen Varies from 3.11 to 1.45 with increase in the nitrogen partial pressure. Refractive index of rf sputtered boron nitride films ranges from 1.67 to 3.21. The effects of substrate bias on the properties of rf sputtered boron nitride films on Si as well as GaAs substrate are investigated. The effect of substrate bias on the XPS core level spectra of both B 1s and N 1s peaks is also studied. Doping of boron nitride films with silicon is achieved by alternate sputtering of BN and Si targets. Intrinsic rf sputtered boron nitride shows little change in resistivity 10(9) to 10(11) Omega cm over the temperature range studied, while Si-doped BN shows linear change in resistivity with increasing temperature and its activation energy is about 0.22 eV.