Hydrogen Implantation Effects on the Electrical and Optical Properties of Metal Nitride Thin Films

Abstract

Copper and Aluminum Nitride thin films were prepared by the reactive R. F. sputtering method with controlling the N2 gas content. Their electrical resistivity and optical bandgap energy were varied as the content of N2 gas during the deposition. For example, the electrical resistivity of the copper nitride thin films increased from 10−1 to 101 Ωm as the nitride approaches to the stoichometric Cu3N. To modify the electrical and the optical properties of the nitride thin films, hydrogen was introduced by low energy ion implantation. The electrical resistivity of nearly stoichiometric Cu3N thin films decreased from 101 to 10−4 Ωm after hydrogen ion implantation for 30 minutes because this treatment at even 3 keV formed many irradiation defects near the surface of the Cu3N thin films. On the other hand, the electrical and the optical properties of insulating AlN thin films were hardly modified with the 7 h implantation. But the electrical resistivity and the optical bandgap energy of the Al rich Al–N thin films could be increased by the hydrogen ion implantation.