Variation of thin film deposition rate on SS 314 with the variation of gas flow rate using CVD

Abstract

PurposeSolid thin films have been deposited on stainless steel 314 (SS 314) substrates in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor at different flow rates of natural gas mostly methane (CH4). The purpose of this paper was to investigate experimentally the variation of thin film deposition rate with the variation of gas flow rate.Design/methodology/approachDuring experiment, the effect of gap between activation heater and substrate on the deposition rate has also been observed. To do so, a hot filament thermal CVD unit is used. The flow rate of natural gas varies from 0.5 to 2 l/min at normal temperature and pressure and the gap between activation heater and substrate varies from 4 to 6.5 mm.FindingsResults show that deposition rate on SS 314 increases with the increase of gas flow rate. It is also seen that deposition rate increases with the decrease of gap between activation heater and substrate within the observed range. These results are analyzed by dimensional analysis to correlate the deposition rate with gas flow rate, surface roughness and film thickness. In addition, friction coefficient and wear rate of SS 314 sliding against SS 304 under different normal loads are also investigated before and after deposition. The obtained results reveal that the values of friction coefficient and wear rate are lower after deposition than that of before deposition.Originality/valueIn this study, thin film deposition rate on SS 314 was investigated using CVD. The obtained results were analyzed by dimensional analysis to correlate the deposition rate with gas flow rate, surface roughness and film thickness. The friction coefficient and wear rate of SS 314 were also examined before and after deposition.