Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vfjqv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T03:38:10.708Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Deposition process and characterization of chromium-carbon coatings produced by direct sputtering of a magnetron chromium carbide target

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

N. Maréchal ,
E. Quesnel  and
Y. Pauleau
N. Maréchal
Affiliation:
Nuclear Research Center of Grenoble, CEREM/DEM-SGSA-LTS, 38054 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
E. Quesnel
Affiliation:
Nuclear Research Center of Grenoble, CEREM/DEM-SGSA-LTS, 38054 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
Y. Pauleau
Affiliation:
Nuclear Research Center of Grenoble, CEREM/DEM-SGSA-LTS, 38054 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
Get access

Abstract

Chromium-carbon coatings have been deposited on various substrates by direct sputtering of a chromium carbide, Cr3C2, target in pure argon atmosphere. The composition of coatings determined by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and the deposition rate were investigated as functions of the sputtering gas pressure and self-bias voltage applied to substrates. The atom number ratio C/Cr in the coatings was equal to 0.7 regardless of the deposition conditions investigated. Oxygen and argon atoms were the major impurities incorporated in the amorphous coatings. Oxygen-free Cr-C coatings were prepared at low argon pressures or on substrates biased to a voltage in the range −100 to −320 V. The Cr-C coatings deposited on biased substrates contained less than 2 at. % of argon. The morphological features of Cr-C coatings examined by scanning electron microscopy were also dependent on the sputtering gas pressure and bias voltage of substrates. Fully dense structures were observed for coatings deposited at low argon pressures or on biased substrates. The electrical resistivity of Cr-C coatings was extremely dependent on the concentration of oxygen atoms incorporated in the coatings. Oxygen-free Cr-C coatings exhibited electrical resistivity values as low as 120 μΩ cm, i.e., less than twice the bulk resistivity of Cr3C2. The residual stresses in the coatings and microhardness of the deposited material were also investigated as functions of the deposition parameters. Tensile residual stresses were lower than 0.8 GPa, and the maximum microhardness of coatings was about 13000 MPa, i.e., similar to that of the bulk material.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 9 , Issue 7 , July 1994 , pp. 1820 - 1828
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1Dimigen, H. and Hübsch, H., Philips Tech. Rev. 41 (6), 186 (1983/84).Google Scholar
2Dimigen, H. and Hübsch, H., U. S. Patent, 4525 417, June 25 (1985).Google Scholar
3Bergmann, E. and Vogel, J., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 4 (6), 2867 (1986).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Pauleau, Y. and Gouy-Pailler, Ph., Mater. Lett. 13, 157 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Pauleau, Y. and Gouy-Pailler, Ph., J. Mater. Res. 7, 2070 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Pauleau, Y., Gouy-Pailler, Ph., and Païdassi, S., Surf. Coat. Technol. 54/55, 324 (1992).Google Scholar
7Aubert, A., Danroc, J., Gaucher, A., and Terrat, J. P., Thin Solid Films 126, 61 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Sharma, S. K. and Morlevat, J. P., Thin Solid Films 156 (2), 307 (1988).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Bouzy, E., Le Caër, G., and Bauer-Grosse, E., Mater. Sci. Eng. A 133, 640 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Cholvy, G. and Derep, J. L., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 3 (6), 2378 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Cholvy, G., Derep, J. L., and Gantois, M., Thin Solid Films 126 (1–2), 51 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Agarwal, V., Vankar, V. D., and Chopra, K. L., Thin Solid Films 169 (2), 281 (1989).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13L'vov, S. N., Nemchenko, V. F., and Samsonov, G. V., Sov. Phys. Dokl. 5 (6), 1334 (1961).Google Scholar
14Jönsson, B. and Hogmark, S., Thin Solid Films 114, 257 (1984).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Thornton, J. A. and Hoffman, D. W., Thin Solid Films 171, 5 (1989).CrossRefGoogle Scholar