Low-Temperature Deposition of Hexagonal Boron Nitride via Sequential Injection of Triethylboron and N2/H2 Plasma
Author
Haider A.
Ozgit Akgun, C.
Goldenberg, E.
Okyay, Ali Kemal
Bıyıklı, Necmi
Date
2014Source Title
Journal of the American Ceramic Society
Print ISSN
0002-7820
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
Volume
97
Issue
12
Pages
4052 - 4059
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
125
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Abstract
Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) thin films were deposited on
silicon and quartz substrates using sequential exposures of
triethylboron and N
2
/H
2
plasma in a hollow-cathode plasma-
assisted atomic layer deposition reactor at low temperatures
(
≤
450
°
C). A non-saturating film deposition rate was observed
for substrate temperatures above 250
°
C. BN films were charac-
terized for their chemical composition, crystallinity, surface
morphology, and optical properties. X-ray photoelectron spec-
troscopy (XPS) depicted the peaks of boron, nitrogen, carbon,
and oxygen at the film surface. B 1s and N 1s high-resolution
XPS spectra confirmed the presence of BN with peaks located
at 190.8 and 398.3 eV, respectively. As deposited films were
polycrystalline, single-phase hBN irrespective of the deposition
temperature. Absorption spectra exhibited an optical band edge
at
~
5.25 eV and an optical transmittance greater than 90% in
the visible region of the spectrum. Refractive index of the hBN
film deposited at 450
°
C was 1.60 at 550 nm, which increased
to 1.64 after postdeposition annealing at 800
°
C for 30 min.
These results represent the first demonstration of hBN deposi-
tion using low-temperature hollow-cathode plasma-assisted
sequential deposition technique. © 2014 The American Ceramic Society.
Keywords
Atomic Layer DepositionChemical-vapor-deposition
Thin-films
Mechanical-properties
Optical-properties
Pressure
Graphite
Diamond
Bn
Composites