AlN thin film is highly valued for use as a high-temperature material because of its excellent heat resistance, thermal conductivity and high mechanical strength. In addition, it is known as a replacement material for ZnO, because it can be applied to surface acoustic wave elements and high-frequency filters using piezoelectric properties or sound velocity. In this study, an alternating sputtering method was used to fabricate an AlN thin film with excellent film quality. The c-axis orientation and residual stress of the fabricated AlN thin film were measured using an X-ray diffraction method. Nitrogen gas pressure and target electrode conversion time are important deposition conditions when producing a thin film using the alternating sputtering method. The AlN thin film fabricated on the glass substrate using the alternating planar magnetron sputtering method exhibited a crystal structure in which the c-axis was preferentially oriented in the normal direction of the substrate surface. The c-axis orientation was better when the target electrode switching time was short under the condition of low nitrogen gas pressure. Residual stress is tensile stress in the very low nitrogen gas pressure range (PN ≤ 0.3 Pa), compressive stress in the low nitrogen gas pressure range (0.3 < PN < 0.9 Pa), and in the high nitrogen gas pressure range (PN ≥ 0.9 Pa), it becomes tensile stress. Residual stress shows tensile stress when the switching time is short, tensile stress decreases as the switching time increases, and becomes compressive stress when the switching time is sufficiently long (300 to 600 s). Compared to the simultaneous sputtering of two targets, the use of the alternating sputtering method can produce a high-quality thin film with excellent c-axis orientation and low residual stress.

Underlayer의 종류 및 두께가 Al 박막의 배향성 및 면저항 변화에 미치는 영향을 연구하였다. Al의 underlayer로서 sputtering 방식으로 증착되는 Ti와 TiN이 적층된 구조인 Ti/TiN이 사용되었으며, 각각에 대해 두께를 변화시키면서 Al 박막의 배향성, 면저항을 조사하였고, 400˚C, N2 분위기에서 열처리하면서 면저항의 변화를 조사하였다. Ti만을 Al의 underlayer로 사용한 경우, Ti두께가 10nm 이상이면 우수한 Al<111> 배향성을 나타냈으며 Al-Ti 반응 때문에 열처리 후 Al 배선의 면저항이 크게 상승하였다. Ti와 Al사이에 TiN을 적용함에 의해 Al<111> 배향성은 나빠지나 Al-Ti 반응에 의한 면저항의 증가는 억제할 수 있었다. Ti/TiN underlayer의 경우, 우수한 Al<111> 배향성을 확보하기 위한 Ti의 최소두께는 20nm이었고, Al-Ti 반응을 억제하기 위한 TiN의 최소두께는 20nm이었다.