Improvement of thickness uniformity and crystallinity of AlN films prepared by off-axis sputtering

We improved both the thickness uniformity and crystallinity of Aluminum nitride (AlN) films deposited by off-axis sputtering. The results in thickness uniformity and X-ray rocking curve full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of AlN (0 0 0 2) are achieved to be ±0.2% and 1.4°, respectively on a 100 mm Si (1 0 0) substrate. The residual stress can be controlled from tensile to compressive by varying sputtering parameters such as gas pressure, RF power and DC bias voltage applied to a substrate without degradation in the crystallinity and thickness uniformity.