PREPARATION OF THIN ALOX LESS-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-X-LESS-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-1.5) FILMS ON GOLD AND POLYCARBONATE CHARACTERIZED BY XPS, EPMA, AFMAND TEM

The parameters controlling reactively deposited aluminum oxide films o n Au and polycarbonate substrates have been investigated under typical PVD conditions of varying O2 flux and deposition rate of thicknesses up to 150 nm. Chemical and physical characterization have been carried out by the use of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) combined eit her with sputter profiling or by variation of the emission angle (ARXP S), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Correlation between XP S, EPMA, AFM and TEM points to island formation during co-deposition o f crystalline metallic Al and amorphous oxide areas if the O2 flux is insufficient. For high O2 fluxes, completely amorphous Al2O3 films are found. No intermediate phase between Al metal and Al2O3 was detected.