The hardness study of oxygen implanted aluminum thin films

Effects of mass analyzed low energy O2+ ion implantation in Al thin films on the hardening and microstrucure have been studied by nanoindenting atomic force microscopy (AFM). The fluence range was 1 × 1017–1 × 1018 O atoms/cm2. A maximum increase of hardness about 90% of the implanted samples is observed. Apparently there is no significant variation in the hardness values within the range of ion fluences investigated here. Finally, the surface roughness is found to decrease considerably by oxygen irradiation.