Synthesis of the boron-based coating in beam plasma using fore-vacuum electron source

Abstract

Article presents the experimental results on deposition of boron-containing coating on titanium substrate by the novel method of reactive electron-beam evaporation of nonmetallic target at fore-vacuum pressures. The synthesis of the coating was made from the plasma produced by electron beam in fore-vacuum (1-10 Pa) pressure range, during evaporation of boron target followed by ionization of boron particles by the same electron beam. Analysis of the deposited coating show that the microhardness of the titanium sample increases significantly (up to 8 times) after deposition of the boron-containing coating. Results of the surface profile analysis demonstrate the decrease in surface roughness as a result of the deposition of the boron-containing film. These results, together with a high deposition rate (about 1 micron per minute), show the high efficiency of the reactive electron beam method of coating deposition during the evaporation of nonmetallic targets at the fore-vacuum pressures.