Abstract
Cr2O3 thin films were prepared on silicon and glass substrates by mid frequency AC sputtering technique in an Isoflux ICM-10 sputter deposition system consisting of two hollow cylindrical targets of Cr in argon-oxygen plasma and at a discharge power of 5 kW. Thin film samples were deposited on three silicon and one glass substrate. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the coatings were ?-phase Cr2O3. One coating sample grown on a Si substrate was annealed in air up to a maximum temperature of 900 oC. While the heat treatment increased the crystallite size and sharpened the XRD peaks ?-Cr2O3 was thermally stable and did not show any structural transformations. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed differences in the surface morphology of the coatings grown on glass and silicon substrates. Dynamic SIMS measurements performed on one coating deposited on silicon showed that thin films had O/Cr ratio of 1.38. Alumina coatings were deposited on Si substrates by reactive sputtering technique using Cr2O3 coatings as template layers. XRD investigations showed that Cr2O3 template layers improved the crystallinity of alumina coatings grown on top of it and also facilitated the formation of thermodynamically stable alpha-alumina phase.
