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Investigating the Stress and Crystal Quality of AlN Air-Bridges through Micro-Raman Scattering
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
Abstract
In this work, we report the post-growth investigation of the microstructure and stress in the AlN films grown on patterned amorphous dielectrics through micro-Raman spectroscopy. The surface texture of AlN/SiO2 structures was characterized by randomly oriented crystallites typical of polycrystalline films. Post growth analysis of the AlN/SiO2 structures using micro Raman spectroscopy did not reveal phonon modes corresponding to wurtzite AlN. The presence of randomly oriented crystallites with a possibility of oxidized Al phase in the AlN film could have suppressed the appearance of wurtzite AlN phonon peaks in the Raman spectrum. Profiling the stress and the microstructure of AlN/SiO2 structures across the width of the bridges is thus limited by these factors. AlN structures on SiO2 when subjected to wet etching in buffered HF (10:1) showed a clear change in texture. Micro-raman spectroscopy on the etched areas revealed wurtzite AlN like phonon modes. The appearance of wurtzite AlN modes can be attributed to the removal of oxidized Al phase in the AlN film after wet etching.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009