Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
Crystalline aluminum nitride (AIN) thin films were formed on various substrates by using RF magnetron sputtering of an Al target in a nitrogen plasma and also by ion-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (IAMBE). Basal-oriented AIN/(1 11) Si showed a degradation of crystallinity with increased substrate temperature from 550 to 770 °C, while the crystallinity of AIN/ (0001) A12O3 samples improved from 700 to 850 °C. The optical absorption characteristics of the AIN/(0001) A12O3 films as grown by both deposition methods revealed a decrease in subbandgap absorption with increased substrate temperature.