Boron nitride thin films synthesized by reactive sputtering

Boron nitride (BN) thin films were deposited on single-crystal silicon(100) substrates by reactive rf sputtering technique using a boron metal target. A mixed gas of nitrogen and argon was used for sputtering. Different negat ive bias voltages ranging from 0 to - 300 V were applied on the substrates. The characterization of films was carried out by Fourier transform infrare d spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR analysis indicates that both sp(2)- and sp( 3)-bunded BN exist in the film synthesized at -150 V bias voltage. By TEM m icrostructure analysis, the mixed phases in the same sample was also confir med. (C) 2000 Elsevier science Ltd. All rights reserved.