Several kinds of multilayer films were sputter deposited between iron metal and AlN at room temperature up to a total film thickness of about 1 μm. The formation of iron nitride at the interface was explicitly observed on the film with a single-layer thickness of about 6 nm by He ion yield x-ray absorption spectroscopy and conversation electron Mössbauer spectroscopy. The partial reduction of AlN to aluminum metal at the interface was also observed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile. Metal substitution between Fe and AlN occurred even at room temperature at the Fe/AlN interface.
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Kikkawa et al. (1996) studied this question.