X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) were used to study the formation of AlN films by N+2 ion implantation of aluminium at energies of 3 keV and 100 keV. In both cases, a two-stage mechanism was found, comprising first the oriented precipitation of small particles of the hexagonal AlN-phase, followed by growth and coalescence finally forming a continuous AlN-layer while increasing the implantation dose from 1×1017 cm-2 to 2×1017 cm-2. The results of both methods are in excellent agreement and furthermore provide complementary information concerning chemical composition and binding energies as well as microstructural details.
The formation of AlN films prepared by N+2 ion implantation into aluminium was investigated using X-ray and Auger photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS, AES) as well as cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). After 100-keV N+2 implantation of low doses (1×1017 cm−2), the formation of hexagonal AlN nanocrystals (crystal size <5 nm, Ncrystal=1017 cm−3) was observed. Their orientation is strongly correlated with the aluminium matrix. With the dose increasing to 3×1017 cm−2, crystal growth follows, finally forming a homogeneous AlN-layer. Furthermore, the diffraction patterns show an increasing amount of misorientation with increasing dose. From the crystal size distribution, we conclude that continuous nucleation takes place. Samples implanted with an energy of 3 keV exhibit analogous behaviour. Nitride growth was further investigated using microstructured AlN formed by 3-keV implantation through movable TEM-masks (structure size: 15–150 mm).
In the case of high N+2 doses (D&5×1017 cm−2), AlN is detected by AES in the shielded area at a distance of up to 10 mm from the exposed region. The Diffusion coefficient was calculated to be 10−10 cm2 s−1. The formation of AlN proceeds in two steps.
After a continuous nucleation, diffusion-assisted Crystal growth takes place until a homogeneous AlN layer results.
Different wear-resistant coatings produced by physical vapour deposition (PVD) were characterized with the aid of cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). All coating systems were optimized by the producers and exhibited good properties with respect to their special applications. The microstructure, texture and chemical composition of binary and ternary systems produced by the arc process [TiN, CrN, Cr2N (Ti, Cr)N on steel substrates] and magnetron sputtering process [TiN, CrN on steel substrates, (Ti, Al)N on Si-substrate] were investigated. All coatings had a more or less columnar microstructure, which was interrupted by interlayers in some cases. Whereas arc coatings always did show some kind of substrate modification, the latter was not observed after magnetron sputtering. Electron diffraction normally revealed a mono-phase fcc structure, except at sites very near to the interface. Only for the systems CrN and (Ti, Cr)N were different additional phases observed at low nitrogen partial pressures.