Ti-Al thin films with a thickness of 200 nm were prepared either by co-sputtering from elemental Ti and Al targets or as Ti/Al multilayers with 10 and 20 nm individual layer thickness on thermally oxidized Si substrates. Some of the films were covered with a 20-nm-thick SiO 2 layer, which was used as an oxidation protection against the ambient atmosphere. The films were annealed at up to 800 ∘ C in high vacuum for 10 h, and the phase formation as well as the film architecture was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, cross section, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as Auger electron and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results reveal that the co-sputtered films remained amorphous after annealing at 600 ∘ C independent on the presence of the SiO 2 cover layer. In contrast to this, the γ -TiAl phase was formed in the multilayer films at this temperature. After annealing at 800 ∘ C, all films were degraded completely despite the presence of the cover layer. In addition, a strong chemical reaction between the Ti and SiO 2 of the cover layer and the substrate took place, resulting in the formation of Ti silicide. In the multilayer samples, this reaction already started at 600 ∘ C.
Keywords: TiAl; high-temperature stability; phase formation; surface acoustic waves; thin films.