| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1657133 | Surface and Coatings Technology | 2015 | 9 Pages |
•Mn and Si thin film thickness gradients were evaporated on Fe substrates.•The Mn and Si films were studied at annealing temperatures between 750 and 950 °C.•Mn and Si high temperature oxidation potential was defined varying the H2O content.•During oxidation of both Mn and Si, crystal growth depends on annealing conditions.•High temperature Fe diffusion through the Si thin film was revealed.
Mn and Si thin films were deposited by thermal evaporation on different Fe-substrates. The use of a mobile shutter during deposition allowed a thickness gradient to be obtained along each sample favoring thickness dependent annealing investigations of Mn and Si films on Fe. The annealing behavior of the prepared thin films was investigated at temperatures ranging between 750 and 950 °C under different atmospheric conditions. Not only the temperature, but also the O2 partial pressure used as well as the film thickness influenced the oxidation behavior of the thin film samples during annealing. The Mn thin film deposited on the Fe substrate and annealed at varying conditions revealed a strong crystal growth. This depended on all annealing variables resulting in a grain size decrease with decreasing temperature, O2 partial pressure and film thickness. The Si coated substrate showed a different oxidation behavior as compared to the Mn case, revealing mainly a thickness independent homogeneously oxidized surface. However, the heat treatment conditions were still evaluated as influencing factor for the Si thin film gradient because under specific conditions Fe diffusion through the Si thin film could be observed.
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