Structure and properties of jet vapor deposited aluminum-aluminum oxide nanoscale laminates

A jet vapor deposition (JVD) method was used to produce Al--aluminum oxide laminated samples with a nanoscale microstructure. The microstructure and properties of these laminates deposited at room temperature were investigated using electron diffraction, electron microscopy and nanoindentation techniques. Preliminary results show that an imperfect, but still layered, structure was formed within the laminates. The aluminum oxide layers were entirely amorphous, whereas the Al layers were mixed amorphous/crystalline. The Al layers were not totally continuous but contained many Al clusters (20-120 nm in diameter) within which many crystalline Al grains (5-50 nm in diameter) had nucleated. A yield strength of 770 plus/minus 60 MPa was achieved for an Al layer thickness of 16.5 nm.