PLASMA-INDUCED DEPOSITION OF THIN-FILMS OF ALUMINUM-OXIDE

Plasma-induced deposition of wear-protecting Al2O3 films has been investigated for two different gas mixtures, one of which is usually used in thermal CVD. It is shown that, contrary to thermal CVD, the properties of thin films deposited from an AlCl3/O2/Ar mixture are superior to those prepared from AlCl3/CO2/H-2. High Vickers hardness of 1800-2500 and a low chlorine content of less-than-or-equal-to 0.7 at. % have been obtained in films deposited from an AlCl3/O2/Ar mixture at a substrate temperature of 500-degrees-C.