Pattern formation under residual compressive stress in free sustained aluminum films

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 491; no. 1; pp. 311 - 316
• Main Authors: Yu, Sen-Jiang, Ye, Quan-Lin, Zhang, Yong-Ju, Cai, Ping-Gen, Xu, Xiao-Jun, Chen, Jiang-Xing, Ye, Gao-Xiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 22.11.2005; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aluminum; Anelasticity, internal friction, stress relaxation, and mechanical resonances; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Free standing films; Internal stress; Materials science; Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Patterning; Physics; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Free standing films; Patterning; Internal stress; Aluminum; Nucleation; Films; Growth rate; Surfaces; Aluminium; Residual stresses; Sandwich structures; Film growth; Compressive stress; Vapor deposition; Vapor phase; Domain structure; Strained layer; Growth mechanism
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2005.03.057

A nearly free sustained aluminum (Al) film system has been successfully fabricated by vapor phase deposition of Al atoms on silicone oil surfaces and an unusual type of ordered patterns at the micrometer scale has been systematically studied. The ordered patterns are composed of a large number of parallel key-shaped domains and possess a sandwiched structure. The nucleation and growth of the patterns are very susceptible to the growth period, deposition rate, nominal film thickness and location of the film. The experiment shows that the ordered patterns are induced by the residual compressive stress in the film owing to contraction of the liquid surface after deposition. The appearance of these stress relief patterns generally represents the stress distribution in the nearly free sustained Al films, which mainly results from the characteristic boundary condition and the nearly zero adhesion of the solid–liquid interface.