Abstract
Electrically insulating alumina films were fabricated on steel substrates using supersonic aerosol deposition and their hardness and scratchability were measured. Alumina particles (0.4-mu m diameter) were supersonically sprayed inside a low-pressure chamber using between 1 and 20 nozzle passes. These alumina particles were annealed between 300 and 800 K to determine the temperature's effect on film crystal size (37-41 nm). Smoother surface morphology and increased electrical resistance of the thin films were observed as their thicknesses grew by increasing the number of passes. Resistances of up to 10,000 M Omega demonstrate robust electrical insulation. Significant hardness was measured (1232 hv or 13.33 GPa), but the alumina films could be peeled off with normal loads of 36 and 47 N for films deposited on stainless steel and SKD11 substrates, respectively. High insulation and hardness confirm that these alumina films would make excellent electrical insulators.