Effect of fibered morphology on the properties of Al2O3 nanoceramic films

The Al2O3 nanoceramic films were deposited by rf magnetron sputtering. The formation of fibered morphology of Al2O3 film was dominated by decreasing Ar pressure, and was good for the hydrophilicity of the deposited film. The nonlinear refractive indices of Al2O3 films deposited on the glass substrates were measured by Moiré deflectometry, and were of the order of 10−8 cm2 W−1. For the Al2O3 film deposited in a mixed Ar–O2 atmosphere, the diffusion of oxygen into the grains could smooth the thin film and enhanced the transmission. The Al2O3 film exhibiting fibered morphology corresponded to higher optical energy gap and higher transmission in the VIS–NIR region. As the results, the surface morphologies affected the hydrophilicity and optical properties of Al2O3 films significantly.