Micromorphology of AlN Epilayers on Sapphire Substrates

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to describe the 3D nano-scaled surface topography of the aluminum nitride on sapphire. The structures were prepared by magnetron sputtering with heating of the sapphire substrate. The dependence of the layers topography on the substrate temperature was presented. Surface appearance was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The quantitative topography data from AFM were used for surface characterization by fractal analysis and statistical parameters. The results of fractal analysis show the correlation of fractal dimension and statistical characteristics of surface topography. The data may contribute to manufacture of AlN thin films with desired surface characteristics.