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Surface Morphology and Microstructure of Al-O Alloys Grown by ECR Plasma Deposition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

D. A. Marshall
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469
J. C. Barbour
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1056
D. M. Follstaedt
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1056
A. J. Howard
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1056
R. J. Lad
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469
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Abstract

The growth of polycrystalline and amorphous aluminum-oxygen alloy films using electronbeam evaporation of Al in the presence of an O2 electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma was investigated for film compositions varying from 40% Al (A12O3) to near 100% Al (A1Ox). Processing parameters such as deposition temperature and ion energy were varied to study their effects on surface texture and film microstructure. The Al-rich films (AlOx) contain polycrystalline fcc Al grains with finely dispersed second-phase particles of γ-A12O3 (1–2 nm in size). The surface roughness of these films was measured by atomic force microscopy and found to increase with sample bias and deposition temperature. Stoichiometric A12O3 films grown at 100°C and 400°C without an applied bias were amorphous, while an applied bias of -140 V formed a nanocrystalline γ-A12O3 film at 400°C. The surface roughness of the A12O3 increased with temperature while ion irradiation produced a smoother surface

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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