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Oxidation of Aluminum Nitride for Defect Characterization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

James Edgar ,
Z. Gu ,
K. Taggart ,
J. Chaudhuri ,
L. Nyakiti ,
R.G. Lee  and
R. Witt
James Edgar
Affiliation:
[email protected], Kansas State University, Chemical Engineering, Durland Hall, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506-5102, United States, 785 532-4320, 785 532-7372
Z. Gu
Affiliation:
Kansas State University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Durland Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5102
K. Taggart
Affiliation:
Kansas State University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Durland Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5102
J. Chaudhuri
Affiliation:
Texas Tech University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lubbock, TX 79409
L. Nyakiti
Affiliation:
Texas Tech University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lubbock, TX 79409
R.G. Lee
Affiliation:
Texas Tech University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lubbock, TX 79409
R. Witt
Affiliation:
EBSD Analytical Inc., 2044 N 1100 E, Lehi, UT 84043
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Abstract

The thermal oxidation of aluminum nitride was developed as a means to study defects in bulk aluminum nitride crystals. The oxidation kinetics was established for the dry oxidation of highly textured AlN polycrystals produced by sublimation-recombination crystal growth in a tungsten furnace. Despite seeding on polycrystalline tungsten, the grains were predominantly [0001] oriented as verified by electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD). The oxidation rate is dependent on the crystal’s orientation, polarity, stress, and surface condition, thus oxidation decorates grain boundaries, polishing scratches, and inversion domains by producing oxide layers of different thicknesses. The initial oxidation rate of nitrogen polar (0001) AlN is approximately 25% faster than on aluminum polar crystals. Low temperature (800 °C) dry oxidation produced an amorphous oxide layer and generated a high density of defects (vacancies, stacking faults, and dislocations) in the nitride near the oxide/nitride interface, as observed by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. In contrast, high temperature oxidation (1000 °C) produced a crystalline oxide layer, and left the nitride free of observable defects.

Keywords

oxidationnitridedefects
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 892 , 2005 , 0892-FF21-02
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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References

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