Method for controlling stress gradients in PVD aluminum nitride

In this paper we describe a method for controlling both the residual stress and the through-thickness stress gradient of aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films using a multi-step deposition process that varies the applied radio frequency (RF) substrate bias. The relationship between the applied RF substrate bias and the AlN residual stress is characterized using AlN films grown on oxidized silicon substrates is determined using 100 nm–1.5 μm thick blanket AlN films that are deposited with 60–100 W applied RF biases; the stress-bias relationship is found to be well described using a power law relationship. Using this relationship, we develop a model for varying the RF bias in a series of discrete deposition steps such that each deposition step has zero average stress. The applied RF bias power in these steps is tailored to produce AlN films that have minimized both the residual stress and the film stress gradient. AlN cantilevers were patterned from films deposited using this technique, which show reduced curvature compared to those deposited using a single RF bias setting, indicating a reduction of the stress gradient in the films. (paper)