Microstructure and surface profiling study on the influence of substrate type on sputtered aluminum thin films

Abstract

In this article, the influence of the type of substrates on properties of aluminum thin films prepared through sputtering technology is presented. The deposition was undertaken at constant substrate temperature of 90 °C and RF power of 350 W for 2 h on glass and steel substrates. Microstructural properties were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The optical non-contact surface profiler (OSP) was used to study the topology and roughness characteristics of the films on different substrates. The results show that films grown on mild and stainless-steel substrates exhibited different morphologies and surface topology from those grown on glass substrates, indicating the influence of the substrate type on the deposition, nucleation, growth and film formation of Al thin films.