Epitaxial α-Be 3N 2 thin films grown on Si substrates by reactive laser ablation

Abstract

Beryllium nitride thin films were grown on (1 1 1) and (1 0 0) silicon substrates by laser ablating a beryllium foil in molecular nitrogen ambient from room temperature up to 900 °C. Resulting films were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction, Auger electron and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. Epitaxial films were achieved at substrate temperatures of 750 °C on (1 1 1)-Si. The diffraction measurements are in agreement with the α-Be 3N 2 phase. The orientation relationship between film-substrate corresponds to [1 1 0] Si [2 1 ̄ 0] Be 3 N 2 and (1 1 ̄ 1) Si ( 1 ̄ 2 ̄ 3) Be 3 N 2 .