AlN films grown on diamond and silicon carbide

Structural changes in surface layers of CVD AlN films were studied by the r eflection high-energy electron diffraction technique. Film thickness was va ried from 0.2 to 20 mu m. Single crystals of diamond, silicon carbide and a lso bilayered structures of natural diamond/CVD diamond films were used as substrates. On the (111) surfaces of natural diamond, (111) CVD diamond fil ms and (00.1) 6H-SiC at AlN thickness up to 1 mu m one can observe the epit axial correspondence between the growing him and the substrate: (00.1) [11. 0] AlN//(111) [110] C-alpha or (00.1) [10.0] AlN//(00.1) [10.0] 6H-SiC. At larger film thickness the epitaxial growth was replaced gradually by the fo rmation of one of axial textures for which the planes (00.1), (10.3) or (11 .4) of wurtzite-like aluminum nitride were parallel to the substrate. Durin g the epitaxial growth the twinning structures with the twinning planes of types (10.1) and (11.1) were observed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All r ights reserved.