MICROSTRUCTURE AND PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES OF BXNY(OZHK) COATINGS DEPOSITED BY RF UNBALANCED MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Thin films of boron nitride are produced by means of r.f. unbalanced m agnetron sputtering using a pyrolytic boron nitride target. Different sputtering parameters such as target-to-sample distance, magnetic fiel d and total discharge pressure are investigated. The study of the film microstructure is performed by means of FT-IR and by glancing angle X -ray diffraction. The film stoichiometry is determined by using nuclea r techniques such as Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry, elastic recoil detection, (p,alpha) and (d,p) nuclear reactions. The collected data are discussed and related to the film microstructure by structur al modelling. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.