Oxides are inherently stable in air at elevated temperatures and may serve as wear resistant matrices for solid lubricants. Aluminum oxide is a particularly good candidate for a matrix because it has good diffusion barrier properties and modest hardness. Most thin film deposition techniques that are used to grow alumina require high temperatures to impart crystallinity. Crystalline films are about twice as hard as amorphous ones. Unfortunately, the mechanical properties of most engineering steels are degraded at temperatures above 250-350 degrees C. This work is focused on using energetic reactive ion bombardment during simultaneous pulsed laser deposition to enhance film crystallization at low temperatures. Alumina films were grown at several background gas pressures and temperatures, with and without Ar ion bombardment. The films were nearly stoichiometric except for depositions in vacuum. Using nitrogen ion bombardment, nitrogen was incorporated into the films and formed the Al-O-N matrix. Nitrogen concentration could be controlled through selection of gas pressure and ion energy. Crystalline Al-O-N films were grown at 330 degrees C with a negative bias voltage to the substrate, and showed improved hardness in comparison to amorphous films. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.