Corrosion behavior of sputtered Cr-Si-Ni resistive films in acidic and alkaline environments

The influence of different corrosion medium and temperature on the electrical properties of sputtered Cr-Si-Ni resistive films had been comparative studied by means of the relative electrical resistance change (ΔR/R) technique, electrochemical measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the annealed Cr-Si-Ni films in 0.1 M HCl aqueous solution had much excellent corrosion resistance and good long-term reliability than the films in 0.1 M NaOH aqueous solution at 25 and 50 °C. The electrochemical measurement results indicated that the surface of the films formed a dense and stable oxidized Si protective layer in acidic and alkaline aqueous solution at 25 °C, and that the passive film in acidic environments exhibited much more protective effects on the films than in alkaline environments. Under alkaline environments, the electrical properties of Cr-Si-Ni films became degraded rapidly at 50 °C, and the results indicated that the films were not able to form a stable and protective oxide layer at the higher corrosion temperatures.