Nanostructured alumina films by E-beam evaporation

The E-beam evaporation technique is utilised at room temperature to deposit 90, 120 and 150 nm thin alumina films on 75 pm thin titanium foils. As-grown films are annealed at 500, 700 and 800 degrees C in air. The phase analysis, morphology and electronic structure of the as-grown and annealed thin films are respectively investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The XRD results show that the as-grown thin films are amorphous. The annealed thin films show crystalline peaks corresponding to a mixture of different phases of alumina. The FESEM studies reveal tripod-like nanostructure and dense nanorods in the alumina thin films annealed at 700 and 800 degrees C, respectively. These results are explained on the basis of experimental evidences provided by the corresponding XPS studies. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.