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PHOTO-CHEMICAL PROCESSING OF VACUUM DEPOSITED ALUMINA THIN FILMS

K. Starbova1,* , E. Krumov1, D. Popov2, G. Schlaghecken3, E. W. Kreutz3

Affiliation

  1. Central Laboratory of Photoprocesses “Acad. Jordan Malinowski” –Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgy Bonchev str., bl.109, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
  2. Institute of Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria
  3. Lehstuhl fur Lasertechnik der Rheinisch-Westfalischen Technischen Hochschule 52074 Aachen, Germany

Abstract

Amorphous Al2O3 thin films electron-beam deposited onto glass and chemically roughened stainless steel substrates were irradiated using ArF* excimer laser pulses (l=193 nm, t=20 ns) at different energy density and pulse number. Chemical electroless plating bath was used for Ni deposition on laser processed samples. Optical spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDS and X-ray analysis were applied in order to characterize the virgin as well as the photo-chemically treated alumina films. An evolution of g-Al2O3 was observed as a result of laser irradiation of the films studied. It was established that electroless Ni plating of the alumina thin films occurs selectively on laser modified areas, thus demonstrating the catalytic activity of alumina g-phase. Further, at an optimal laser energy density of 0.25 J/cm2, and proper electroless plating conditions a growth of individual Ni clusters is observed, which are uniformly distributed over the irradiated film surface. On the basis of elemental X-ray mapping the number of Ni clusters per unite area is evaluated. The results obtained reveal a possibility for deposition of catalytic active metal on Al2O3 surface and could be used for development of novel method for heterogeneous catalyst design..

Keywords

Alumina thin films, Excimer laser irradiation, Electroless plating.

Submitted at: April 25, 2005
Accepted at: May 26, 2005

Citation

K. Starbova, E. Krumov, D. Popov, G. Schlaghecken, E. W. Kreutz, PHOTO-CHEMICAL PROCESSING OF VACUUM DEPOSITED ALUMINA THIN FILMS, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 7, Iss. 3, pp. 1353-1357 (2005)