Aluminum Nitride (AlN) thin films can be used for many device applications; for example, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications, and packaging applications. In this work, AlN is the critical layer in the fabrication process. One challenge is reliable deposition over wafer size substrates. The method of interest for deposition is pulsed DC sputtering. The (002) plane is the desired plane for its piezoelectric properties. The surface roughness of the deposited AlN is low and adheres well to the substrate. An AlN layer was deposited on a UNCD/Si...