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Properties of ScxAl1-xN (x = 0.27) thin films on sapphire and silicon substrates upon high temperature loading

Microsystem Technologies volume 22, pages 1679–1689 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Scandium Aluminum Nitride thin films (ScxAl1-xN) are attracting more and more attention for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) because of significantly increased piezoelectric constants compared to pure AlN. This work provides a comprehensive study of thermal annealing effects on ScxAl1-xN (x = 27 %) films synthesized via DC magnetron sputter deposition at nominally unheated Silicon and Sapphire substrates. Compared to the “as deposited” state increasing c-axis orientation and crystalline quality upon annealing up to 1000 °C of films with mixed crystallographic orientation is observed via X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy based analyses. Also the piezoelectric coefficient d 33 of ScxAl1-xN on Si shows increasing values at enhanced annealing temperatures. However, the improved piezoelectric properties are accompanied by both increased leakage currents and loss tangent values.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), number P 25212-N30. In addition, we thank Dr. Erich Halwax and Dr. Klaudia Hradil from the X-ray Center (XRC) of TU Wien for their help with measurements. The Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation is acknowledged for support of the electron microscopy laboratory in Linköping.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems, TU Wien, Floragasse 7, 1040, Vienna, Austria

    P. M. Mayrhofer, A. Bittner & U. Schmid

  2. Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics Chemistry and Biology, Linköpings Universitet, 58183, Linköping, Sweden

    P. O. Å. Persson

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  1. P. M. Mayrhofer
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  2. P. O. Å. Persson
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  3. A. Bittner
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  4. U. Schmid
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Correspondence to P. M. Mayrhofer.

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Mayrhofer, P.M., Persson, P.O.Å., Bittner, A. et al. Properties of ScxAl1-xN (x = 0.27) thin films on sapphire and silicon substrates upon high temperature loading. Microsyst Technol 22, 1679–1689 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-015-2798-7

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