Thin Solid Films, Vol.336, No.1-2, 373-376, 1998
RF-sputtering deposition of Al/Al2O3 multilayers
In order to study mechanical and electrical behaviour of nanoscale laminated materials, Al/Al2O3 multilayers have been deposited by reactive rf-sputtering for substrate temperature T-8 ranging from -80 degrees C to 600 degrees C. Polycrystallised aluminium films exhibit a rough surface, with grain size increasing with substrate temperature. Alumina films are amorphous, with smooth surface, except a high temperature. Al/Al2O3 multilayers were elaborated by lowering period thickness from 40 to 2 nm, keeping a 1:1 Al/Al2O3 ratio. As metal films, multilayers present a granular surface. SEM cross-section observations did not point out any laminated structure. Nevertheless, X-ray reflectometry have demonstrated the multilayering character of films with emergence of different Bragg peaks. This character seems to decrease with increasing temperature as the number of peaks is gradually reduced from T-s = -80 degrees C to T-s = 600 degrees C. This may be due to the increasing roughness of aluminium layers with temperature, added to a possible diffusion of oxygen.
Keywords:COATINGS