Amorphous stainless steel coatings prepared by reactive magnetron-sputtering from austenitic stainless steel targets

Abstract

Stainless steel films were reactively magnetron sputtered in argon/methane gas flow onto oxidized silicon wafers using austenitic stainless-steel targets. The deposited films of about 200 nm thickness were characterized by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetooptical Kerr-effect, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, atomic force microscopy, corrosion resistance tests, and Raman spectroscopy. These complementary methods were used for a detailed examination of the carburization effects in the sputtered stainless-steel films. The formation of an amorphous and soft ferromagnetic phase in a wide range of the processing parameters was found. Further, the influence of the substrate temperature and of post vacuum-annealing were examined to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the carburization process and phase formation.

Nitrided Amorphous Stainless Steel Coatings Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering from an Austenitic Stainless Steel Target

“…1) with its first maximum at 0.03 sccm and its second maximum at 0.80 sccm N 2 gas flow, which is contrary to carburized samples, where growth rate drops more or less exponentially from about 12 nm min À1 for the inert sputtering to half of this value for higher methane flows. [13] As be seen below, these parameters represent two metastable phases: an amorphous and soft ferromagnetic phase rich in nitrogen (@ 0.03 sccm N 2 gas flow) and the cubic (Fe, Cr, Ni)N phase (@ 0.80 sccm N 2 gas flow).…”

“…In this paper, we report on the incorporation of nitrogen into conventional AISI 316 via an argon/nitrogen atmosphere by using the reactive magnetron sputtering technique and on the formation of nitride phases, thereunder an amorphous soft ferromagnetic phase, which was also found after carburization of conventional AISI 316 stainless steel. [13] 2. Experimental…”