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Growth, structural and mechanical characterization and reliability of chemical vapor deposited Co and Co3O4 thin films as candidate materials for sensing applications

V. P. TSIKOURKITOUDI1, E. P. KOUMOULOS1, N. PAPADOPOULOS2, E. HRISTOFOROU2, C. A. CHARITIDIS1,*

Affiliation

  1. National Technical University of Athens, School of Chemical Engineering, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Str., Zografos, Athens, Greece GR-157 80
  2. National Technical University of Athens, School of Mining Engineering and Metallurgy, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Str., Zografos, Athens, Greece GR-157 80

Abstract

The adhesion and mechanical stability of thin film coatings on substrates is increasingly becoming a key issue in device reliability as magnetic and storage technology driven products demand smaller, thinner and more complex functional coatings. In the present study, chemical vapor deposited Co and Co3O4 thin films on SiO2 and Si substrates are produced, respectively. Chemical vapor deposition is the most widely used deposition technique which produces thin films well adherent to the substrate. Co and Co3O4 thin films can be used in innovative applications such as magnetic sensors, data storage devices and protective layers. The surface topography of the produced thin films is investigated with Atomic Force Microscopy and the mechanical behavior of them is evaluated. The produced thin films are also characterized using nanoindentation technique. Typical load-displacement curves are obtained and the local changes observed are explained. The nanomechanical properties (hardness and elastic modulus) of the thin films are obtained with Oliver & Pharr model. Finally, an evaluation of the reliability of each thin film (wear analysis) is performed using the hardness to elastic modulus ratio in correlation to the ratio of irreversible work to total work for a complete loading-unloading procedure..

Keywords

Chemical Vapor Deposition, Co thin films, Co3O4 thin films, Nanoindentation, Nanomechanical Properties.

Submitted at: Jan. 25, 2012
Accepted at: Feb. 20, 2012

Citation

V. P. TSIKOURKITOUDI, E. P. KOUMOULOS, N. PAPADOPOULOS, E. HRISTOFOROU, C. A. CHARITIDIS, Growth, structural and mechanical characterization and reliability of chemical vapor deposited Co and Co3O4 thin films as candidate materials for sensing applications, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 14, Iss. 1-2, pp. 169-175 (2012)