Formation and accommodation of gold atom clusters and oxygen bubbles during amorphous anodic alumina growth

The growth of anodic oxide films on metals and alloys is of both theoretical value, in particular with relation to the mechanism of ionic transport in amorphous materials, and practical interest, especially in the surface treatment of metals and alloys and the use of anodic films in electronics applications. Most previous work has focused on uniform film growth, with formation of either an essentially single-layered or a duplex oxide. The present work, employing transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, addresses the generation of metallic and gaseous phases in association with the usual film growth, and reveals the ability of the labile amorphous film to accommodate these non-oxide phases. Thus, anodizing of a thin Al-0.47 at.% Au alloy, deposited upon an electropolished aluminium substrate, is shown to result in formation of gold atom clusters of ca. 1-5 nm size and fine oxygen bubbles, at high pressures, which are contained by the growing amorphous alumina film. The generation of the phases originates from enrichment of gold in a thin layer of the alloy, probably containing gold-rich precursor clusters, during the oxidation of the alloy layer and the subsequent enforced incorporation of gold atom clusters into the anodic film by the electropolishing film on the aluminium. The final clusters are essentially immobile following incorporation into the growing anodic film. At the time of, and briefly after, the incorporation of clusters into the film, oxygen gas is produced by oxidation of O2- ions from the alumina, which occurs at the cluster-alumina interface prior to electrical isolation of the cluster due to undermining by further film growth. The resultant oxygen bubbles generated within the alumina expand as the film grows, driven by the high gas pressure and assisted by the effective plasticity of the labile amorphous alumina under the electric field.