Pyroelectric and piezoelectric responses of thin AlN films epitaxy-grown on a SiC/Si substrate

Abstract

This paper presents the results of pyroelectric and piezoelectric studies of AlN films formed by chloride–hydride epitaxy (CHE) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on epitaxial SiC nanolayers grown on Si by the atom substitution method. The surface topography and piezoelectric and pyroelecrtric responses of AlN films have been analyzed. The results of the study have shown that the vertical component of the piezoresponse in CHE-grown AlN films is more homogeneous over the film area than that in MBE-grown AlN films. However, the signal from the MBE-synthesized AlN films proved to be stronger. The inversion of the polar axis (polarization vector) on passage from MBE-grown AlN films to CHE-grown AlN films has been found experimentally. It has been shown that the polar axis in MBE-grown films is directed from the free surface of the film toward the Si substrate while, in CHE-grown films, the polarization vector is directed toward the free surface.