Synthesis of Alumina Thin Films Using Reactive Magnetron Sputtering Method

Alumina (Al₂O₃) thin films were deposited on Si (100) by Magnetron Sputtering in reactive conditions between an aluminium target and oxygen 99.99% pure. The plasma was formed employing Argon with an R.F power of 100 W, the dwelling time was 3 hours. 4 samples were produced with temperatures between 350 and 400 ºC in the substrate by using an oxygen flow of 2 and 8 sccm, the remaining parameters of the process were fixed. The coatings and substrates were characterized using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) in order to compare their properties before and after deposition. The films thicknesses were between 47 and 70 nm. The results show that at high oxygen flow the alumina structure prevails in the coatings while at lower oxygen flow only aluminum is deposited in the coatings. It was shown that the temperature increases grain size and roughness while decreasing the thicknesses of the coatings. (paper)