Mechanical behaviors of quenched iron film sputtering deposited on glass substrate

A characteristic wedge-shaped iron (Fe). film system, deposited on glass substrate by a DC-magnetron sputtering method and quenched by silicone oil during deposition, has been successfully fabricated. The mechanical behaviors of the quenched and non-quenched Fe films have been compared and analyzed. The internal stress is found to transform from tension to compression in nature after quenching, which results in the formation of buckling pattern in the quenched Fe film while crack pattern in the non-quenched film. It is proposed that the origin of the compressive stress is mainly due to freezing of the Fe atoms (or clusters) with high kinetic energy and doping of the oil molecules into the Fe film defects.