ALUMINUM-ALUMINUM NITRIDE CERMET FILMS - PREPARATION BY COSPUTTERING AND MICROSTRUCTURE

Aluminium-aluminium nitride (Al-AlN) cermet films have been deposited by RF co-sputtering. The target was an insulating aluminium nitride di sk on which small aluminium disks were regularly displayed. The effect of the target configuration, i.e. the influence of the number of alum inium disks and of the sputtering time on the microstructure, has been studied. The AI second phase content of the film can be adjusted by m eans of the Al disk number placed on the ceramic target. The cermets a re made of Al grains (150-200 nm) embedded in a nanocrystalline AlN ma trix (5 nm). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.