Coating deposition and surface modification under combined plasma processing

Abstract

The results of the development of the high-frequency method in combination with a vacuum arc one for surface coating and surface modifications with pulsed plasma streams are presented. The combined method was applied for deposition of multi-layer coatings with a reduction of droplet formation and decrease of the substrate temperature. It provided metal and dielectric coatings under the substrate temperature ⩽ 200°C. The (TiN–Ti) coatings were deposited onto organic materials and metals. Amorphous and hypocrystalline dielectric films of Al 2O 3 were obtained. Also, the material surface properties were improved by surface treatment with pulsed plasma streams. This treatment led to melting of the surface layer, introduction of nitrogen into the liquid surface layer and subsequent fast solidification. The formation of modified fine-grained surface layers of 30 μm in depth was observed as a result of a plasma processing. An essential improvement of wear properties of treated samples was obtained. Pulsed plasma processing of FeB or TiAlN coatings has shown that under the plasma treatment intensive mixing of the materials of coating with the material of substrate was achieved.