The c-axis orientations and microstructures of AIN and ZnO thin films deposited by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering, has been investigated using a X-ray diffraction and a transmission electron microscopy. The ranges of RF powers and deposition temperatures were 100 -200W and room temperature-250℃, respectively.
Films, about 10 - 50 nm in thickness, were deposited. AIN films which were deposited at 250℃ for 1 min., had not only an amorphous phase on Si substrate but also crystallites on an amorphous phase. C-axis preferred orientation which had the deviation angle of 11℃ was observed in the crystallites. The thickness of an amorphous phase on Si substate was 3.3 nm. As deposition time was increased to 2 min., the thickness of an amorphous phase was decreased to 1.5 nm, indicating that the amorphous phase was crystallized during the increased deposition time. The same tendency of growth mechanism was confirmed at substrate temperature of 150℃. The critical thickness of the amorphous phase at which nucleation started, was increased to 4.4 nm as substrate temperature was decreased to 150℃. While deposition time was increased, the nucleus which did not have a c-axis preferred orientation, did not grow to upper direction for columnar growth, because the growth velocities of those nucleus were lower than the growth velocity of c-axis oriented nucleus. The c-axis preferred orientation of ZnO films, was better than that of AIN films at same substrate temperature and same RF power.
