GROWTH OF CUBIC BORON-NITRIDE ON SI(100) BY NEUTRALIZED NITROGEN ION-BOMBARDMENT

Highly cubic phase and stoichiometric boron nitride films were deposit ed on Si(100) substrates using a neutralized nitrogen beam and electro n beam evaporation of boron. High intensity, focused, and low-energy n eutralized nitrogen beam was supplied using a newly developed neutrali zer atomic beam ion source (NABS) adapted to a Kaufman-type ion source . The films were grown at substrate temperatures in the range 400-500- degrees-C and a boron evaporation rate of 0.2 A/s. Infrared transmitta nce spectra of the films showed that a highly cubic phase (80%) was ob tained in the area of the focused beam. These films were compared to t hose obtained using similar conditions but with the NABS disconnected from the ion source, and it was found that the cubic phase content dec reases drastically (10%). The results show that the NABS was the deter mining factor in enhancing the formation of the cubic boron nitride fi lms. Furthermore, the addition of Ar to N, which is reported to increa se the momentum transfer and promote the formation of the cubic phase, did not play a significant role when the NABS was used.