S. Ilias*, V. Stambouli, D. Bouchier
* Groupe de physique des plasmas, Université de Montreal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, H3C 3J7, Quebec, Canada.
Institu d'Electronique Fondamentale, URA CNRS 22, Bat. 220, Université Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay, cedex, France.
ABSTRACT
In situ Reflection Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (REELS) analyses, performed at various primary electron energies, enable us to distinguish between sp3 and sp2 bonding in BN films. Consequences on the c-BN growth modeling are discussed based on the result that polycristalline cubic BN films grown using IBAD always exhibit a superficial zone of three to four sp2 bonded monolayers. Increasing the ion energy enlarges the sp2 superficial zone, while ion beam etching at grazing incidence decreases its thickness. In addition, REELS depth profiling, based on the complementary use of ion beam etching at grazing incidence and REELS analyses, clearly evidences the phase distribution within the c-BN film and reveals a lyered structure including a thin layer of a-BN close to the substrate followed by an h-BN basal layer and then by nearly pure c-BN volume.
Article published in Applied Surface Science 152 (1999) 70-76.
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