Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Structural modification and bandgap tunning of cubic AlN thin film by carbon ions irradiations

  • Published:
Optical and Quantum Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper deals with the 700 keV energetic Carbon (C) ions irradiations induced structrual modification and optical bandgap tunning of cubic (c) AlN thin films. MOCVD grown c-AlN thin film has been exposed to C ions at various ions fluences of 1 × 1013, 1 × 1014 and 1 × 1015 ions.cm−2. XRD patterns exhibited that films retain their cubic crystal structure after ions irradiations, indicating their structural stability against irradiation. Full width at half maximum of the XRD peaks remains almost same for pristine and irradiated films. Ions irradiations at fluence of 1 × 1014 ions/cm2, produces compressive stresses as observed from the shifts in (220) orientation peaks. However, its pristine position is restored with a further rise of ions fluence to 1 × 1015 ions/cm2, thereby relieving the induced stresses. Raman spectra also indicated that the stress produced at lower fluence are recovered with further increase of the fluence. The bandgap obtained from UV-visible optical transmission spectra also modulated with ions dose rate and is changed from 5.88 eV (for as grown) to 5.62 eV at maximum fluence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anastassakis, E., Pinczuk, A., Burstein, E., Pollak, F.H., Cardona, M.: Effect of static uniaxial stress on the Raman spectrum of silicon. Solid State Commun. 8, 133–138 (1970)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Aumer, M.E., LeBoeuf, S.F., Bedair, S.M., Smith, M., Lin, J.Y., Jiang, H.X.: Effects of tensile and compressive strain on the luminescence properties of AlInGaN/InGaN quantum well structures. Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 821–823 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brafman, O., Lengyel, G., Mitra, S.S.: Raman spectra of AℓN, cubic BN and BP. Solid State Commun. 6, 523–526 (1968)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlone, C., Lakin, K.M., Shanks, H.R.: Optical phonons of aluminum nitride. J. Appl. Phys. 55, 4010–4014 (1984)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Chandramohan, S., Sathyamoorthy, R., Sudhagar, P., Kanjilal, D., Kabiraj, D., Ashokan, K.: Swift heavy ion beam irradiation induced modifications in structural, morphological and optical properties of CdS thin films. Nucl. Instrum. Methods B 254, 236–242 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Correia, M.R., Pereira, S., Pereira, E., Frandon, J., Watson, I.M., Liu, C., Alves, E., Sequeira, A.D., Franco, N.: Direct evidence for strain inhomogeneity in In x Ga 1–x N epilayers by Raman spectroscopy. Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 2235–2237 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhunna, R., Lal, C., Sisodia, V., Avasthi, D.K., Ganesan, V., Jain, I.P.: Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 11, 126–130 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frazier, R.M., et al.: Properties of Co–, Cr–, or Mn-implanted AlN. J. Appl. Phys. 94, 1592–1596 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Ho, I., Stringfellow, G.B.: Solid phase immiscibility in GaInN. Appl. Phys. Lett. 68, 2701–2703 (1996)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hobert, H., Dunken, H.H., Meinschien, J., Stafast, H.: Infrared and Raman spectroscopic investigation of thin films of AlN and SiC on Si substrates. Vib. Spectrosc. 19, 205–211 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • http://www.qualitymaterial.net/AlN-Substrate.html

  • Joo, H.U., Chae, S.A., Jung, W.S.: Is it possible to synthesize cubic aluminum nitride by the carbothermal reduction and nitridation method? Diam. Relat. Mater. 17, 352–355 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, S., Mehmood, M., Saeed, S., Khan, T.M., Sadiq, G., Ahmed, I.: Effect of substrate biasing and temperature on AlN thin film deposited by cathodic arc ion. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 16, 640–646 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi, N., Kobayashi, H., Sakamoto, I., Hayashi, N.: Helium irradiation effects on structural properties of A1N thin films. J. Nucl. Mater. 179–181, 469–472 (1991)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Leclerc, S., Lacroix, B., Declémy, A., Lorenz, K., Ruterana, P.: Mechanisms of damage formation in Eu-implanted AlN. J. Appl. Phys. 112, 073525 (2012)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, F., Muralt, P., Dubois, M.-A., Pezous, A.: Thickness dependence of the properties of highly c-axis textured AlN thin films. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 22, 361–365 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Reichman, B., Bard, A.J.: The electrochromic process at WO 3 electrodes prepared by vacuum evaporation and anodic oxidation of W. J. Electrochem. Soc. 126, 583–591 (1979)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahu, G.: Confinement in MeV Au2+ implanted Si: a Raman scattering study. Adv. Nat. Sci. Nanosci. Nanotech. 5, 015002 (2014)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, A., Ahmad, J., Ahmad, I., Mehmood, M., Mahmood, A., Rasheed, M.A.: Copper ion implanted aluminum nitride dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS) prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. Appl. Surf. Sci. 317, 262–268 (2014)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, P., Vashistha, M., Jain, I.P.: Optical study of ion-induced effects in Ge20Se80− xBix thin films. Opt. Mater. 27, 395–398 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sorieul, S., Costantini, J.M., Gosmain, L., Calas, G., Grob, J.J., Thomé, L.: Study of damage in ion-irradiated α-SiC by optical spectroscopy. J. Phys. Condens. Matter 18, 8493–8502 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Taniyasu, Y., Kasu, M., Makimoto, T.: An aluminium nitride light-emitting diode with a wavelength of 210 nanometres. Nature 441, 325–328 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Tauc, J.C.: Optical Properties of Solids. pp. 372. North Holland Pub. Co., Amsterdam (1972)

  • Toulemonde, M., Dufour, C.: Transient thermal process after a high-energy heavy-ion irradiation of amorphous metals and semiconductors. Phys. Rev. B 42, 14362–14369 (1992)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Uglov, V.V., Kvasov, N.T., Remnev, G.E., Shymansk, V.I., Korenevski, E.L., Zlotski, S.V., Abadias, G., O’Connel, J., van Vuuren, A.: Size effect in AlN/SiN multilayered films irradiated with helium and argon ions. Nucl. Inst. Methods Phys. Res. B 435, 228–235 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2018.01.012

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, L.D., Kwok, H.S.: Cubic aluminum nitride and gallium nitride thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Appl. Surf. Sci. 154, 439–443 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, F., Leung, K., Van Schilfgaarde, M.: Effects of biaxial strain and chemical ordering on the band gap of InGaN. Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 189–191 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiong, J., Gu, H.-S., Hu, K., Hu, M.-Z.: Influence of substrate metals on the crystal growth of AlN films. Int. J. Min. Metall. Mater. 17, 98–103 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zavada, J.M., et al.: Ultraviolet photoluminescence from Gd-implanted AlN epilayers. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 152107 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Q.C.: Metal-AlN cermet solar selective coatings deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering technology. J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 31, 355–362 (1998)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Shakil Khan

  2. Experimental Physics Laboratory, National Centre for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Ishaq Ahmad

  3. Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur, AJ&K, Pakistan

    M. Hassan Raza &  Khizar-ul-Haq

  4. NPU-NCP Joint International Research Center for Advanced Nanomaterials and Defects Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710072, China

    Ishaq Ahmad & Ting-kai Zhao

  5. School of Materials Science & Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710072, China

    Ting-kai Zhao

  6. Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria

    Fabian I. Ezema

  7. UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences/Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

    Ishaq Ahmad & Fabian I. Ezema

Authors
  1. Shakil Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ishaq Ahmad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Hassan Raza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Khizar-ul-Haq
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ting-kai Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Fabian I. Ezema
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Shakil Khan or Khizar-ul-Haq.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Khan, S., Ahmad, I., Hassan Raza, M. et al. Structural modification and bandgap tunning of cubic AlN thin film by carbon ions irradiations. Opt Quant Electron 51, 272 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-019-1934-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-019-1934-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation