Crystallinity and stoichiometry of InNx films deposited by reactive dc magnetron sputtering

Abstract InN x films were deposited on soda-lime glass without substrate heating by dc reactive magnetron sputtering using indium (In) metal target under various total gas pressures ( P tot =0.5–3.0 Pa) of mixture gases of N 2 and Ar. X-ray diffraction patterns of the films revealed that 〈0 0 1〉 preferred oriented polycrystalline InN x films were deposited under 0.5–3.0 Pa with a gas flow ratio of N 2 /(Ar+N 2 ) higher than 50%, where the crystallinity of the films improved with the decrease in the P tot . The improvement of the crystallinity and stoichiometry of the InN x films were considered to be caused by an increase in the activated nitrogen radicals and also by an increase in the kinetic energy of sputtered In atoms arriving at the growing film surface, which should enhance the chemical reaction and surface migration on the growing film surface, respectively.