  We report the reduction in residual stress of AlN thin films and also the
crystal structure, surface morphology and nanomechanical properties of
magnetron sputtered as a function of substrate temperature (Ts, 35 - 600 ?C).
The residual stress of these films was calculated by sin2 technique and found
that they are varying from tensile to compression with temperature (Ts).
Evolution of crystalline growth of AlN films was studied by GIXRD and
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a preferred a-axis orientation was
observed at 400 ?C. The cross-sectional TEM micrograph and selected area
electron difraction (SAED) of this film exhibited a high degree of orientation
as well as a columnar structure. Hardness (H) measured by Nanoindentation
technique on these films ranged between 12.8 - 19 GPa.
