Growth and Stress-induced Transformation of Zinc blende AlN Layers in Al-AlN-TiN Multilayers

Nan Li; Satyesh K Yadav; Jian Wang; Xiang-Yang Liu; Amit Misra

doi:10.1038/srep18554

Growth and Stress-induced Transformation of Zinc blende AlN Layers in Al-AlN-TiN Multilayers

Sci Rep. 2015 Dec 18:5:18554. doi: 10.1038/srep18554.

Authors

Nan Li¹, Satyesh K Yadav², Jian Wang³, Xiang-Yang Liu², Amit Misra⁴

Affiliations

¹ Materials Physics and Applications Division, MPA-CINT, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
² Materials Science and Technology Division, MST-8, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
³ Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
⁴ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.

Abstract

AlN nanolayers in sputter deposited {111}Al/AlN/TiN multilayers exhibit the metastable zinc-blende-structure (z-AlN). Based on density function theory calculations, the growth of the z-AlN is ascribed to the kinetically and energetically favored nitridation of the deposited aluminium layer. In situ nanoindentation of the as-deposited {111}Al/AlN/TiN multilayers in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope revealed the z-AlN to wurzite AlN phase transformation through collective glide of Shockley partial dislocations on every two {111} planes of the z-AlN.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.