Plasticity of thin Al films as a function of temperature

Free standing polycrystalline thin films were tested in biaxial tension. Thin films from high purity Al were prepared by the magnetron sputtering technique. The influence of film thickness (0.5–4.4 μm) and testing temperature (from room temperature up to 240 °C) were studied. Deformation mechanisms were documented by structural observations. Data obtained from the spherical cap model and finite element analysis were compared.