New Technique for Sublimation Growth of AlN Single Crystals


Y. Shi, B. Liu, Lianghong Liu, J.H. Edgar
Kansas State University, Department of Chemical Engineering

E.A. Payzant
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, High Temperature Materials Laboratory

J. M. Hayes, Martin Kuball
University of Bristol, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory

This article was received on Thursday, January 11, 2001 and accepted on Sunday, March 4, 2001.

Abstract

Single crystalline platelets of aluminum nitride (AlN) were successfully grown by a new technique. It consists of (1) depositing an AlN buffer layer on a SiC substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) below 1100°C, (2) forming an (AlN)x(SiC)1-x alloy film on the AlN film by condensing vapors sublimated at a temperature of 1800°C from a source mixture of AlN-SiC powders, followed by (3) condensing vapors sublimated from a pure AlN source (at 1800°C). The necessity of the first two steps for the successful AlN sublimation growth on SiC substrate was illustrated by the initial nucleation studies of alloys on SiC substrates with and without MOCVD AlN buffer layers: an AlN MOCVD buffer layer leads to continuous, single grain growth mode; The (AlN)x(SiC)1-x alloy film reduces the crack density because its thermal expansion coefficient is intermediate between SiC and AlN. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy studies indicated the high quality of the AlN single crystal.

Outline

  • Introduction
  • Experimental procedures
  • Crystal growth
  • Buffer layer preparation by MOCVD
  • Characterization
  • Results
  • Nucleation studies of (AlN)x(SiC)1-x alloys on 6H-SiC substrates
  • Pure AlN growth and Characterization
  • Conclusions
  • Acknowledgments
  • Linked Pages

    Cite this article as: MRS Internet J. Nitride Semicond. Res. 6, 5(2001).

    last updated Tuesday, January 10, 2006 2:43:23 PM.

    © 2001-2006 The Materials Research Society MRS Internet Journal of Nitride Semiconductor Research