Modification of Cr 2N coatings on Al-3wt.%Mg substrates by xenon irradiation

Abstract

The surface and interface modifications of magnetron-sputtered Cr 2N films on Al-3wt.%Mg substrates after xenon irradiation were investigated by means of the ion beam analysis techniques of Rutherford-backscattering spectrometry and resonant nuclear reaction analysis. The sputtering of the surface can be reproduced by the Sigmund model within 30%, but a slight deviation from the linear dependence on the nuclear stopping power S n was observed. The mixing rates k depend strongly on the thickness-to-range ratio d/ R p and cannot be described by the standard ion-mixing models. Interface mixing was observed even if no primary ion had been transmitted through the layer, pointing to a transport of the nuclear energy loss F D of the ion into deeper regions of the sample by primary and secondary recoils. No difference in the mixing behaviour of chromium and nitrogen was found.