Temperature effect on microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum film deposited on glass substrates

Aluminum films with excellent heat resistance, thermal reflection, and corrosion resistance are widely used in various applications. In this work, aluminum films are prepared on the glass substrate by electron-beam vapor deposition. The surface topology of the film is examined by means of atomic force microscope (AFM). Nanoindentation tests are employed to determine the hardness and Young's modulus of the film. The effect of substrate temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties are investigated. Experimental results show that the surface roughness of Al films is increasing with the increase of substrate temperature. The measured hardness and Young's modulus of Al films were found to depend on the indentation depth.