Plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition of Cr coatings using chromium (III) acetylacetonate vapour source

We report here the synthesis and characterisation of Cr coatings by an environmental friendly Plasma Assisted Metal–Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition (PAMOCVD) process. The Cr coatings were developed using Cr(acac)3 as the chemical vapour source at a substrate temperature and a power density of 550 °C and 70 mW/cm2, respectively. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Vicker's microhardness measurements. The investigations revealed that the Cr films are nanocrystalline, free from pores and cracks and have hardness of 1200 HV. The energy dispersive analysis of X-rays and XPS confirmed the presence of Cr in the films.