Characteristic STATE of substrate and coatings interface formed by Impulse Plasma Deposition method

This paper presents a study of the structural, phase and chemical states of coating-substrate interface, formed during the Impulse Plasma Deposition method, operating under conditions of pulsing pressure. The plasma process was carried out using a gas valve operating in a pulsing manner, controlling the pressure between threshold values - forming and extinguishing the plasma. We assumed that using pulsing pressure would significantly enhance the plasma particles' energy, preserving their momentum by reducing the gas accumulation at the front of plasmoid. We expected that impinging by enhanced plasma species could form a specific state of the coating and substrate interface. The titanium nitride coatings deposited on Fe substrates were selected as the model materials. The secondary ion mass spectrometry method was used to study the chemical state of the transition zone of the interface. A complex composition of the interface was observed, suggesting a shallow implantation of titanium atoms. Cross sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed local areas of epitaxial growth.