Aluminum Nitride Transition Layer for Power Electronics Applications Grown by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

Aluminum nitride (AlN) films have been grown using novel technological approaches based on plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and in situ atomic layer annealing (ALA). The growth of AlN layers was carried out on Si<100> and Si<111> substrates at low growth temperature. The investigation of crystalline quality of samples demonstrated that PEALD grown layers were polycrystalline, but ALA treatment improved their crystallinity. A thick polycrystalline AlN layer was successfully regrown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on an AlN PEALD template. It opens up the new possibilities for the formation of nucleation layers with improved quality for subsequent growth of semiconductor nitride compounds.