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

Optical and Quantum Electronics volume 51, Article number: 272 (2019) Cite this article

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.

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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
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  2. Ishaq Ahmad
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  3. M. Hassan Raza
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  4. Khizar-ul-Haq
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  5. Ting-kai Zhao
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Correspondence to Shakil Khan or Khizar-ul-Haq.

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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

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

Keywords

  • AlN
  • Ion irradiation
  • XRD
  • Raman spectroscopy