Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1663073 | Surface and Coatings Technology | 2006 | 6 Pages |
Alumina coatings were deposited on glass, silicon and stainless steel substrates by magnetron sputtering of two cylindrical aluminum targets in argon–oxygen plasma using a mid frequency AC power supply operated at 41 kHz and 5 kW. No substrate heating was used during the deposition process. Reactive sputtering was carried out in the poisoned mode of the targets at low deposition rates of about 0.09 nm s− 1. The coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction studies and found to be nano-crystalline, γ-phase of aluminum oxide. The coatings thickness was measured using the optical interference effects in the UV–visible spectrum of thin films deposited on glass substrates. Thin film thickness after 4 h of reactive sputtering was found to be 1.3 μm. We further studied the oxidation resistance of the alumina coatings produced on stainless steel substrates at a temperature of 400 °C. Coatings were found to be completely stable at this temperature and prevented the oxidation of underlying stainless steel substrate.