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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
The incorporation of nitrogen into sapphire substrates during nitridation was studied by xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). An increase in the intensity of nitrogen 1s peak in XPS was observed upon longer nitridation. The surface morphology of the substrates was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). High resolution electron microscopy (HREM) was employed for structural analysis. The cross sectional TEM showed a thin layer of AlN buried between amorphous AlNxO1−x and sapphire. This is the first direct observation of AlN on sapphire. The TEM images show a deeper penetration depth of nitrogen into a longer nitridated sapphire.