Composition, Kinetics, and Mechanism of Growth of Chemical Vapor‐Deposited Aluminum Nitride Films

Abstract

Aluminum nitride films have been deposited on silicon wafers and vitreous carbon substrates by reaction of aluminum tribromide and ammonia in a hydrogen flow system at a temperature in the range 400°–900°C. The films were analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The composition, chemical stability, topography of surface, and deposition rate of films have been determined as a function of deposition temperature, total flow rate, and composition of reactant mixture. The effect of homogeneous reactions on the deposition process has been discussed. A growth mechanism of aluminum nitride films based on a competition between the homogeneous formation of powdery aluminum nitride and the formation of films by surface reactions is proposed.