Highly textured growth of AlN films on sapphire by magnetron sputtering for high temperature surface acoustic wave applications

Piezoelectric aluminum nitride films were deposited onto 3 in. [0001] sapphire substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering to explore the possibility of making highly (002)-textured AlN films to be used in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices for high temperature applications. The synthesized films, typically 1 μm thick, exhibited a columnar microstructure and a high c-axis texture. The relationship between the microstructures and process conditions was examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy analyses. The authors found that highly (002)-textured AlN films with a full width at half maximum of the rocking curve of less than 0.3° can be achieved under high nitrogen concentration and moderate growth temperature, i.e., 250 °C. The phi-scan XRD reveals the high in-plane texture of deposited AlN films. The SAW devices, based on the optimized AlN films on sapphire substrate, were characterized before and after an air annealing process at 800 °C for 90 min. The frequency response, recorded after the annealing process, confirmed that the thin films were still strong in a high temperature environment and that they had retained their piezoelectric properties.