Intrinsic stress evolution during amorphous oxide film growth on Al surfaces

Journal Article · Mon Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4867471· OSTI ID:22283065

Wang, Z. M.; Jeurgens, L. P. H. ^[1]; Mittemeijer, E. J. ^[1]

---

1. Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (former Max Planck Institute for Metals Research), Heisenbergstraße 3, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

The intrinsic stress evolution during formation of ultrathin amorphous oxide films on Al(111) and Al(100) surfaces by thermal oxidation at room temperature was investigated in real-time by in-situ substrate curvature measurements and detailed atomic-scale microstructural analyses. During thickening of the oxide a considerable amount of growth stresses is generated in, remarkably even amorphous, ultrathin Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films. The surface orientation-dependent stress evolutions during O adsorption on the bare Al surfaces and during subsequent oxide-film growth can be interpreted as a result of (i) adsorption-induced surface stress changes and (ii) competing processes of free volume generation and structural relaxation, respectively.

• OSTI ID: 22283065
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ADSORPTION
ALUMINIUM
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
MICROSTRUCTURE
ORIENTATION
OXIDATION
RELAXATION
STRESSES
SUBSTRATES
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
THIN FILMS