EFFECT OF FILM THICKNESS ON THE TRIBO-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CHROME-GOLD THIN FILMS

摘要

In this paper we took into consideration two approaches in order to develop a fundamental understanding of the influence of thin film thickness on the tribological and mechanical properties of chromium-gold thin films, deposited onto a silicon substrate in terms of implementing them in reliable MEMS structures. First, the atomic force microscopy was used to quantitatively measure both the adhesion and friction forces between tip and samples and their dependence on the films thickness. Secondly, the indentation technique was used to determine the mechanical properties of chrome-gold films dependence on thickness. We concentrated on chrome-gold thin films since this alloy in bulk is known as a stable low resistance material. Due to their superior tribological properties, chrome-gold thin films have offered opportunities in many technical applications, such as protective coatings and wear-resistant coatings. The mechanical properties of chrome-gold thin films are found to be dependent on the thin films thickness. For this purpose, the experiments were focused on the mechanical and tribological investigations of chromium-gold thin films, with the thickness between 100 nm and 500 nm.