Growth stoichiometric BN films by pulsed laser evaportation

The authors report an investigation of the feasibility of growing stoichiometric thin films by BN by pulsed laser evaporation. Films grown under high vacuum conditions were N-deficient. This result is consistent with thermodynamic calculations, which indicate that B metal formulation, with concomitant N2 desorption, is energetically favored over BN formation. Stoichiometric films were grown in NH3 with substrate temperatures of 400, 500, and 1000 degrees C. Analysis of films grown under these conditions by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction indicates the films to be highly oriented, hexagonal BN