Structural and mechanical properties of magnetron-sputtered Al–Au thin films

There is global interest in improving the mechanical properties of light metals such as aluminum (Al)-based alloys by tailoring their microstructures at the nanometer scale. On the other hand, gold (Au) has been widely applied as a wire bonding material due to its prominent ductility and conductivity. In this study, the microstructure, hardness and elastic modulus of DC magnetron-sputtered aluminum/gold (Al/Au) composite thin films of different thicknesses were investigated. It is shown that in addition to the formation of AlAu2 phase, additional Al and Au nanosegregated phases also formed. The Al/Au thin films of 600 and 800 nm thickness exhibit the maximum hardness (~5.40 GPa) and elastic modulus (~97.00 GPa). However, film thicknesses of 1000 and 1200 nm demonstrate a reduction in hardness and elastic modulus due to different growth mechanisms and the formation of voids that can be attributed to the Kirkendall phenomenon.