DISORDER AND BOND HYBRIDIZATION IN BORON-NITRIDE THIN-FILMS

Structural modelling has been used to investigate disorder effects in BN thin films. In particular, models of disorder have been developed t o explain the apparent inconsistency in the experimental data (X-ray d iffraction and infra-red spectroscopy) relative to boron nitride thin films grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition on silicon s ubstrates. Based on the infra-red spectroscopy data, which showed spec tral lines typical of the planar sp(2) B-N hybridization, static disor der effects have been introduced in the model starting from the ordere d hexagonal BN phase. The X-ray diffraction patterns calculated on the basis of the structural model are in good agreement with the experime ntal X-ray diffractograms. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd