Electrical properties of fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-C:F(x)) and aluminum nitride (AlN) films

Electrical properties of Fluorinated Amorphous Carbon (a-C:F_x) and Aluminum Nitride (AlN) films were studied using capacitance-voltage (C-V), conductance-voltage (G-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The films were deposited using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) technique under different conditions.; The C-V characteristics of the a-C:F_x, films was stretched about the voltage axis, exhibited hysteresis effects and was characterized with a frequency dependent flatband voltage. The equivalent parallel conductance data showed a good fit to theory only if continuum of states is assumed. I-V characteristics exhibited low current in the forward and reverse biasing conditions. Annealing the sample in hydrogen introduced charge leakage in the film and was characterized with a damaged interface.; The C-V characteristics of the AlN films were marked with frequency dependent flatband voltage and exhibited minimal hysteresis. Depending on processing conditions, equivalent parallel conductance data showed a good fit to theory either for single time constant or continuum of states model. I-V characteristics indicated that the current conduction in these films is a bulk limited process. Dielectric constant, as calculated using C-V curves and using I-V curves, showed good agreement. Annealing the samples in hydrogen resulted in charge polarization and reversal of hysteresis cycle but the interfacial characteristics showed marked improvement.