The Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Plasma Edge in Reflectance Spectra of Al/Al2O3 Composites Synthesized by Thermal Oxidation of Aluminum Thin Films

In this study, the structural and optical properties of aluminum oxide thin films were investigated. Aluminum oxide thin films were prepared on silicon and glass substrate by DC magnetron sputtering of aluminum targets with subsequent thermal oxidation of the aluminum-deposited thin films. Important result obtained included the presence of a plasma edge for the individual aluminum atoms. In addition, the temperatures that resulted in the highest concentration of surface plasmons were determined. On other hand, the relationship between the plasma edge and the optical energy gap was investigated.