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Article

On the Effect of Randomly Oriented Grain Growth on the Structure of Aluminum Thin Films Deposited via Magnetron Sputtering

by
Vagelis Karoutsos
1,*,
Nikoletta Florini
2,
Nikolaos C. Diamantopoulos
1,
Christina Balourda
1,
George P. Dimitrakopulos
2,
Nikolaos Bouropoulos
1,3 and
Panagiotis Poulopoulos
1,*
1
Materials Science Department, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
2
Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
3
Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Chemical Engineering and High Temperature Chemical Processes, 26504 Patras, Greece
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Coatings 2024, 14(11), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111441
Submission received: 30 October 2024 / Revised: 10 November 2024 / Accepted: 11 November 2024 / Published: 13 November 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Thin Films)
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Abstract

The microstructure of aluminum thin films, including the grain morphology and surface roughness, are key parameters for improving the thermal or electrical properties and optical reflectance of films. The first step in optimizing these parameters is a thorough understanding of the grain growth mechanisms and film structure. To investigate these issues, thin aluminum films with thicknesses ranging from 25 to 280 nm were coated on SiOx/Si substrates at ambient temperature under high-vacuum conditions and a low argon pressure of 3 × 10−3 mbar (0.3 Pa) using the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. Quantitative analyses of the surface roughness and nanograin characteristics were conducted using atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction. Changes in specular reflectance were measured using ultraviolet–visible and near-infrared spectroscopy. The low roughness values obtained from the AFM images resulted in high film reflectivity, even for thicker films. TEM and AFM results indicate monomodal, randomly oriented grain growth without a distinct columnar or spherical morphology. Using TEM cross-sectional images and the dependence of the grain size on the film thickness, we propose a grain growth mechanism based on the diffusion mobility of aluminum atoms through grain boundaries.
Keywords: aluminum; thin films; nanostructured films; grain growth; magnetron sputtering aluminum; thin films; nanostructured films; grain growth; magnetron sputtering

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MDPI and ACS Style

Karoutsos, V.; Florini, N.; Diamantopoulos, N.C.; Balourda, C.; Dimitrakopulos, G.P.; Bouropoulos, N.; Poulopoulos, P. On the Effect of Randomly Oriented Grain Growth on the Structure of Aluminum Thin Films Deposited via Magnetron Sputtering. Coatings 2024, 14, 1441. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111441

AMA Style

Karoutsos V, Florini N, Diamantopoulos NC, Balourda C, Dimitrakopulos GP, Bouropoulos N, Poulopoulos P. On the Effect of Randomly Oriented Grain Growth on the Structure of Aluminum Thin Films Deposited via Magnetron Sputtering. Coatings. 2024; 14(11):1441. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111441

Chicago/Turabian Style

Karoutsos, Vagelis, Nikoletta Florini, Nikolaos C. Diamantopoulos, Christina Balourda, George P. Dimitrakopulos, Nikolaos Bouropoulos, and Panagiotis Poulopoulos. 2024. "On the Effect of Randomly Oriented Grain Growth on the Structure of Aluminum Thin Films Deposited via Magnetron Sputtering" Coatings 14, no. 11: 1441. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111441

APA Style

Karoutsos, V., Florini, N., Diamantopoulos, N. C., Balourda, C., Dimitrakopulos, G. P., Bouropoulos, N., & Poulopoulos, P. (2024). On the Effect of Randomly Oriented Grain Growth on the Structure of Aluminum Thin Films Deposited via Magnetron Sputtering. Coatings, 14(11), 1441. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14111441

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