STRUCTURE OF INDIUM NITRIDE THIN FILMS PREPARED BY RF-MAGNETRON SPUTTERING. Y. Nakane, Department of General Education, Hokkaido Polytechnic College, Zenibako 3-190, Otaru 047-02, Japan.

The processing conditions for thin films of indium nitride using reactive rf-magnetron sputtering method are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The films were prepared by the method with an indium metal target and a mixture of Ar and N₂ gases at 10^-3 torr. Silicon wafers and plates of silica glass were used as the substrates. In the processing, the substrates were electrically heated at temperatures between room temperature and 673 K. Thickness of the films was controlled to be 1000 A and 2000 A by changing sputtering time. The composition of the films was measured by means of Auger electron spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction patterns were measured in order to evaluate the crystallinity. The patterns from the film prepared at room temperature showed strong and broad intensities with weak and sharp peaks. It means that the film is composed of amorphous and crystalline phases and the greater part of the film is amorphous. The crystal structure of the crystalline phase estimated from the reflections, however, was essentially different from the hexagonal structure which is generally observed in the bulk system. The volume ratio of amorphous to crystalline phases strongly depended on nitrogen partial pressure of the mixture and temperature of the substrate. In the presentation, the relationship between the crystallinity and the processing conditions will be discussed based on electronic bonding states of the films measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and by Fourier transformed infrared resonance.