Mechanical properties characterization for thin layers oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), deposited by PLD-large area

The use of large area thin films on different surfaces to protect them or to improve the functional properties in their field of use, is increasingly common nowadays. In this paper, the thin film of Al 2 O 3 is designed to function as protective layer with hardness and the modulus of elasticity as high as possible. This study adds value to the existing knowledge on manufacturing Al 2 O 3 thin films for various applications, including the coverage of large areas for tribological or nuclear applications. Specifically, the thin layer of Al 2 O 3 was deposited on the Si wafer with a diameter up to 200 mm (area of 31,400 mm 2 ) using a large area pulsed laser deposition (PLD) installation. This study is the first test in which a large area PLD installation was employed in depositing Al 2 O 3 layers with uniformity of less than 3% in 1 σ .