Crystallography-Induced Correlations in Pore Ordering of Anodic Alumina Films

Abstract

A crystallographic approach to tailoring the morphology and ordering degree of the porous structure of alumina films obtained by anodization of single-crystalline aluminum is discussed. The examination of porous structure of anodic alumina films formed on low-index and vicinal planes of Al single crystals under self-ordering conditions by high-resolution small-angle X-ray scattering revealed the existence of two pore growth directions on vicinal facets. The inclination of channels from the normal to the metal surface is explained by the competitive impact of electromigration driving force and the crystallographic anisotropy of the substrate. It was also shown that pores growing in different directions during anodization retain hexagonal domains with various in-plane orientations. These results for the first time demonstrate the strong correlations between the longitudinal alignment and in-plane packing options of pores in anodic alumina films.