Aluminum Nitride Thin Films on an LTCC Substrate

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2005-07, Vol.88 (7), p.1977-1980
• Main Authors: Lee, Jung W., Cuomo, Jerome J., Cho, Yong S., Keusseyan, Roupen L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Applied sciences; Building materials. Ceramics. Glasses; Ceramic industries; Ceramics; Chemical industry and chemicals; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition by sputtering; Electrotechnical and electronic ceramics; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Microstructure; Physics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Substrates; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Technical ceramics; Temperature; Thin film structure and morphology; Thin films
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2005.00250.x

Aluminum nitride thin films deposited on a low‐temperature co‐fired ceramics substrate by reactive magnetron sputtering were investigated with regard to their crystal orientation and microstructural characteristics. Strong c‐axis orientations of AlN thin films were observed when either a higher deposition temperature or an RF bias was adopted. This orientation was believed to be responsible for the high thermal conductivity of 26 W/mK for the AlN films deposited at 700°C under 25‐W bias. Photoluminescence spectrum in the wavelength range of 350–650 nm was analyzed to prove the involvement of potential oxygen‐related defects in the thin films.