Effect of substrates on characteristics of magneticco-sputtering Al-Cu-Fe thin films

Al-Cu-Fe thin films were successfully deposited by magnetron co-sputtering. The substrates were pure Al, pure Cu in polished state and the stainless steel with different surface roughness. The surface morphologies of the films were observed by Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM). The element compositions of the films were analyzed by Energy Dispersive Spectrum(EDS), and the bond strength and friction coefficient of the films were determined by nanoindentation (MTS systems). The results showed that the bond strength of the film for the stainless steel substrate was the biggest. The friction coefficient of the film with pure Cu substrate was 0.17, while the other films were not more than 0.03. The surface morphology of films was related with the initial surface morphology of the substrates. The sm