Si Target Research Articles

Refractory high entropy TiTaZrHfW-N/Si3N4 nano-layered alloy thin film’s oxidation resistance

Refractory high entropy TiTaZrHfW-N/Si3-N4 nano-layered alloy thin films are investigated to study the effect of nano-layered architecture and silicon (Si) mean content on their structural, mechanical, thermal properties and oxidation behavior. The films are deposited using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering of separate Si and TiTaZrHfW targets. The Si mean content is controlled by tailoring the power discharge applied to the Si target. The deposition process led to a nano-layered architecture where Si3N4 (amorphous) and TiTaZrHfW-N (nano-crystalized NaCl FCC type structure) are alternated. By increasing the thickness of Si3N4 nano-layers, the Si mean content increases. All coatings are found to have good thermal stability after annealing under vacuum at 900 °C. Increasing Si mean content reduces the film’s hardness; however, the annealing treatment at 900 °C improves it. A super-hardness of 41 GPa is found for the post-annealed Si-free film. Si3N4 nano-layers enhance the oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures of 600, 700, and 800 °C. This oxidation resistance is further enhanced by increasing the nano-layer’s period and also by increasing the density of the films.

Simulation of ion beam sputtering with OKSANA and SRIM: A comparative study

The energy distributions and average energies of sputtered particles are calculated using simulation codes OKSANA and SRIM-2013. Most simulations refer to an amorphous Ni target bombarded by normally incident Ar ions of keV energies. Sputtering of Si, Ti, V and Nb targets is also considered. It is shown that SRIM can strongly overestimate the contribution of fast ejected atoms, especially for targets irradiated with lighter ions. The effect is amplified by using the surface binding energies found to fit the measured sputter yields. It is concluded that the enhanced ejection of fast particles is associated with sputtering due to backscattered ions. The role of the first collision of an incident ion with a target atom is particularly noted. A comparison of the OKSANA calculated results with the data of other codes (TRIM.SP, ACAT) and experimental data showed their reasonable agreement.

Evolution and persistence of SiO emission in nanosecond laser ablation plumes

Abstract Analyzing laser-produced plasmas in a controlled oxygen-containing environment provides insight into the formation and evolution of molecular species through gas-phase oxidation. This study explores the role of ambient pressure and oxygen availability in forming SiO molecular species in laser ablation plumes. The self-emission emanating during the reactive ablation of Si targets was characterized by optical emission spectroscopy and optical time-of-flight techniques. Our results showed that the SiO species formation was greatly influenced by both the ambient pressure and oxygen availability. The intensity and the persistence of SiO emission bands are lower at higher oxygen concentrations, indicating they are depopulated by the formation of more complex silicon oxides. The oxygen partial pressure effects on plume chemistry showed that SiO formation is favored even with a minimal oxygen concentration in the environment.

Migdal-type effect in the dark matter absorption process

We propose a new mechanism of absorption of dark matter particles in atoms which resembles the Migdal effect of inelastic dark matter scattering. In this process, atoms may be ionized upon absorption of a scalar particle through the scalar-nucleon Yukawa-type interaction. The crucial difference from the inelastic dark matter scattering on atoms is that the total energy of the particle, including its rest mass mc2 term, is transferred to the electron. As a result, the emitted electron kinetic energy is about 6 orders in magnitude bigger than that in the dark matter scattering process. This absorption process allows one to probe dark matter particles with a relatively small mass, in the range from 1 to 100 keV, that cannot be detected in the scattering process. It is also possible to detect hypothetical scalar particles emitted from the Sun. We calculate absorption cross sections of this process in Na, Si, Ar, Ge, I, Xe, and Tl target atoms and extract limits on the scalar-nucleon interaction constant from null results of the XENONnT experiment. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Oxidation Performance of Nano-Layered (AlTiZrHfTa)Nx/SiNx Coatings Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering.

This work uses the direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) of equi-atomic (AlTiZrHfTa) and Si targets in dynamic sweep mode to deposit nano-layered (AlTiZrHfTa)Nx/SiNx refractory high-entropy coatings (RHECs). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used to investigate the effect of Si addition on the oxidation behavior of the nano-layered coatings. The Si-free nitride coating exhibits FCC structure and columnar morphology, while the Si-doped nitride coatings present a FCC (AlTiZrHfTa)N/amorphous-SiNx nano-layered architecture. The hardness decreases from 24.3 ± 1.0 GPa to 17.5 ± 1.0 GPa because of the nano-layered architecture, whilst Young's modulus reduces from 188.0 ± 1.0 GPa to roughly 162.4 ± 1.0 GPa. By increasing the thickness of the SiNx nano-layer, kp values decrease significantly from 3.36 × 10-8 g2 cm-4 h-1 to 6.06 × 10-9 g2 cm-4 h-1. The activation energy increases from 90.8 kJ·mol-1 for (AlTiZrHfTa)Nx nitride coating to 126.52 kJ·mol-1 for the (AlTiZrHfTa)Nx/SiNx nano-layered coating. The formation of a FCC (AlTiZrHfTa)-Nx/a-SiNx nano-layered architecture results in the improvement of the resistance to oxidation at high temperature.

Characterization of ZrBSiTaNx Films

In this study, ZrBSiTa and (ZrBSiTa)Nx films were deposited on silicon wafers through direct current magnetron cosputtering. The nitrogen flow ratio (RN2) of the reactive gas and the sputter power applied to the Si target (PSi) were the variables in the fabricating processes. The influence of the N and Si contents on the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and oxidation behavior of the ZrBSiTa and (ZrBSiTa)Nx films were investigated. All the as-fabricated films exhibited amorphous structures. The RN2 set at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 caused the ZrBSiTaNx films to exhibit high N contents of 52–55, 62–64, and 63–64 at.%, respectively. The Si content of the ZrBSiTa films increased from 0 to 42 at.% as PSi increased from 0 to 150 W, and this was accompanied by decreases in hardness and Young’s modulus values from 19.1 to 14.3 GPa and 264 to 242 GPa, respectively. In contrast, the increase in Si content of the (ZrBSiTa)Nx films from 0 to 21 at.% increased the hardness from 11.5 to 14.0 GPa, and Young’s modulus from 207 to 218 GPa. Amorphous BN and SiNx phases in the (ZrBSiTa)Nx films varied the structural and mechanical properties. The thermal stability of the (ZrBSiTa)Nx films was evaluated by annealing at 800–900 °C for 10–30 min in Ar. The oxidation behavior of the (ZrBSiTa)Nx films was evaluated in the ambient air at 800 °C for 0.5–24 h. The amorphous (ZrBSiTa)Nx films with a high Si content had high thermal stability and oxidation resistance.

Investigating ripple pattern formation and damage profiles in Si and Ge induced by 100 keV Ar+ ion beam: a comparative study.

Desired modifications of surfaces at the nanoscale may be achieved using energetic ion beams. In the present work, a complete study of self-assembled ripple pattern fabrication on Si and Ge by 100 keV Ar+ ion beam bombardment is discussed. The irradiation was performed in the ion fluence range of ≈3 × 1017 to 9 × 1017 ions/cm2 and at an incident angle of θ ≈ 60° with respect to the surface normal. The investigation focuses on topographical studies of pattern formation using atomic force microscopy, and induced damage profiles inside Si and Ge by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The ripple wavelength was found to scale with ion fluence, and energetic ions created more defects inside Si as compared to that of Ge. Although earlier reports suggested that Ge is resistant to structural changes upon Ar+ ion irradiation, in the present case, a ripple pattern is observed on both Si and Ge. The irradiated Si and Ge targets clearly show visible damage peaks between channel numbers (1000-1100) for Si and (1500-1600) for Ge. The clustering of defects leads to a subsequent increase of the damage peak in irradiated samples (for an ion fluence of ≈9 × 1017 ions/cm2) compared to that in unirradiated samples.

Fabrication of 197Au-backed Silicon target for In-beam Gamma-ray spectroscopy experiment

The fabrication of stable 197Au-backed natural Si targets with a thickness ranging from ∼ 400 μg/cm2 to ∼ 1.1 mg/cm2 using an electron beam evaporation technique is discussed. In one of the attempts, a graphite sheet was used as an evaporation source, which proves to be an efficient method in terms of minimal wastage of source material. Characterizations of the fabricated targets using various technique revealed that the targets were uniform in thickness and had negligible contamination. The optimization of evaporation parameters in the present work enhances the potential for future fabrication of isotopically enriched Si targets.

Remote epitaxy-based atmospherically stable hybrid graphene template for fast and versatile transfer of complex ferroelectric oxides onto Si

Heterogenous integration of complex epitaxial oxides onto Si and other target substrates is recently gaining traction. One of the popular methods involves growing a water-soluble and highly reactive sacrificial buffer layer, such as Sr3Al2O6 (SAO), at the interface and a functional oxide on top of this. To improve the versatility of layer transfer techniques, it is desired to utilize stable (less reactive) sacrificial layers without compromising on the transfer rates. In this study, we utilized a combination of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene as a 2D material at the interface and pulsed laser deposited (PLD) water-soluble SrVO3 (SVO) as a sacrificial buffer layer. We then exploit the well-known enhancement of liquid diffusivities by monolayer graphene to enhance the dissolution rate of SVO over ten times without compromising its atmospheric stability. We demonstrate the versatility of our hybrid- graphene-SVO- template by growing ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) via PLD and Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) via Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) technique and transferring them onto the target substrates and establishing their ferroelectric properties. Our hybrid templates allow for the realization of the potential of complex oxides in a plethora of device applications for MEMS, electro-optics, and flexible electronics.

Cross-ionization of the sputtered flux during hybrid high power impulse/direct-current magnetron co-sputtering

Time-resolved ion mass spectrometry is used to analyze the type and the energy of metal-ion fluxes during hybrid high-power impulse/direct-current magnetron co-sputtering (HiPIMS/DCMS) in Ar. The study focuses on the effect of HiPIMS plasma plumes on the cross-ionization of the material flux sputtered from the DCMS source. Al, Si, Ti, and Hf elemental targets are used to investigate the effect of the metal’s first ionization potential IPMe1 and mass on the extent of cross-ionization. It is demonstrated that the interaction with HiPIMS plasma results in the significant ionization of the material flux sputtered from the DCMS source. Experiments conducted with elements of similar mass but having different IPMe1 values, Si and Al (Si-HiPIMS/Al-DCMS and Al-HiPIMS/Si-DCMS) reveal that the ionization of the DCMS flux is favored if the sputtered element has lower ionization potential than the one operating in the HiPIMS mode. If elements having similar IPMe1 are used on both sources, the metal mass becomes a decisive parameter as evidenced by experiments involving Ti and Hf (Ti-HiPIMS/Hf-DCMS and Hf-HiPIMS/Ti-DCMS). In such a case, Ti+ fluxes during Hf-HiPIMS/Ti-DCMS may even exceed Hf+ fluxes from the HiPIMS cathode and are much stronger than Hf+ fluxes during Ti-HiPIMS/Hf-DCMS. The latter effect can be explained by the fact that heavier Hf+ ions require longer transit time from the ionization zone to the substrate, which effectively increases the probability of interaction between the Hf-HiPIMS plasma plume and the Ti-DCMS flux, thereby leading to higher Ti ionization. Thus, the common notion of low ionization levels associated with DCMS has to be revised if DCMS is used together with highly ionized plasmas such as HiPIMS operating at higher peak target currents. These results are particularly important for the film growth in the hybrid configuration with substrate bias pulses synchronized to specific ion types.

Effect of silicon content on the corrosion behaviors of CrAlSiN thin films deposited by magnetron co-sputtering

One CrAlN and four CrAlSiN thin films containing 0.8–7.3 at. % Si were grown by a magnetron co-sputtering process using pure Cr, Al, and Si targets. The microstructure of the CrAlSiN coating changed from a coarse columnar structure to a dense and compact morphology as Si content increased from 0.8 to 7.3 at. % due to the formation of more amounts of amorphous silicon nitride phase to block the growth of columnar grains. Pitting corrosion was the main corrosion failure mechanism for each coating. According to the potentiodynamic polarization test, the lowest corrosion current density, the highest pitting potential, and the widest passivation range were obtained on the 7.3 at. % Si contained CrAlSiN coating. After the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study of CrAlN and CrAlSiN thin films in 3.5 wt. % NaCl aqueous solution for 100 h immersion, the corrosion resistance of CrAlSiN thin films was 14 times higher than the CrAlN film due to its fine nanocolumnar microstructure to effectively retard the attack of corrosive electrolyte through the defects of coating.

Impedance of nanocomposite SiO2(Si)&FexOy(Fe) thin films containing Si and Fe nanoinclusions

In this study, electrical properties at alternating current of the nanocomposite films containing silicon and iron inclusions in amorphous SiO x matrix are presented. The composite SiO 2 (Si)&Fe x O y (Fe) films were obtained using the ion-plasma co-sputtering of Si and Fe targets in oxygen containing atmosphere (Ar + O 2 ) followed by temperature annealing. It was revealed the predominance of the inductive contribution over the capacitive one in the reactive part of the admittance (impedance) at low frequencies (f < 1 MHz) both after annealing in air and nitrogen atmosphere. The frequency dependences of the admittance after heat treatment in air have the minima that shift to the region of high frequencies with increasing the annealing temperature. In the case of low- frequency dependence, the phase shift angle passes into the region of positive values, which indicates the predominance of the inductive contribution to the admittance at these frequencies. The dependence of the conductivity real part at the alternating current frequency does not change significantly up to ~20 kHz. Starting from the frequency higher than ~20 KHz and up to ~1 MHz, the exponent in the frequency dependence of the conductivity lies within the limits m ~ 0.49…0.52.

A Computational Study of Solid Si Target Dynamics under ns Pulsed Laser Irradiation from Elastic to Melting Regime

The dynamic behavior of solid Si targets irradiated by nanosecond laser pulses is computationally studied with transient, thermοmechanical three-dimensional finite element method simulations. The dynamic phase changes of the target and the generation and propagation of surface acoustic waves around the laser focal spot are provided by a finite element model of a very fine uniformly structured mesh, able to provide high-resolution results in short and long spatiotemporal scales. The dynamic changes in the Si material properties until the melting regime are considered, and the simulation results provide a detailed description of the irradiated area response, accompanied by the dynamics of the generation and propagation of ultrasonic waves. The new findings indicate that, due to the low thermal expansion coefficient and the high penetration depth of Si, the amplitude of the generated SAW is small, and the time and distance needed for the ultrasound to be generated is higher compared to dense metals. Additionally, in the melting regime, the development of high nonlinear thermal stresses leads to the generation and formation of an irregular ultrasound. Understanding the interaction between nanosecond lasers and Si is pivotal for advancing a wide range of technologies related to material processing and characterization.

Effect of Si contents on microstructure and mechanical characteristics of TiAlSiN thin film deposited by HiPIMS using different Ti[sbnd]Si target compositions

High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) PVD deposition technology offers smoother coating enhanced mechanical properties and improved substrate-coating adhesion and has become a superior alternative to direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). The technology utilizes high peak power with a small pulse duration, leading to a much denser plasma in the order of 1018 m−3. This results in dense, defect-free, and high-quality smoother coatings. In this study, TiAlSiN coatings were deposited on WC-10Co (wt%) cermet using HiPIMS technology with two different TiSi contents. A pair of TiSi targets, either of compositions Ti77Si23 or of Ti66Si34, were used during the depositions along with another pair of Ti40Al60, in successive cathode-stages. The impact of Ti and Si atomic percentages on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the coatings was investigated using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), 3D-surface profiling, nano-indentation, Rockwell indentation-adhesion, and scratch test. The coating's thickness and deposition rate were estimated from the cross-section morphology. The results suggested that the TiAlN phase likely existed in an amorphous phase of Si3N4 in TiAlSiN coatings. As the Ti atomic percentage in the layer increased, the hardness improved, reaching up to 42 GPa (max). Additionally, the coating surface roughness decreased from 14.3 nm to 10.9 nm, and the grain size decreased from 10 nm to 9 nm. The adhesion strength observed under the Rockwell-indentation test was rated as HF1 in both cases. Furthermore, the indentation test revealed similar crack patterns, but an increase in Ti content significantly improved the coating-substrate adhesion, as confirmed by the Scratch test. The scratch test demonstrated a maximum load of 173 N during the complete delamination (Lc3) of TiAlSiN from the carbide substrate.

Modeling of Short-Pulse Laser Interactions with Monolithic and Porous Silicon Targets with an Atomistic-Continuum Approach.

The acquisition of reliable knowledge about the mechanism of short laser pulse interactions with semiconductor materials is an important step for high-tech technologies towards the development of new electronic devices, the functionalization of material surfaces with predesigned optical properties, and the manufacturing of nanorobots (such as nanoparticles) for bio-medical applications. The laser-induced nanostructuring of semiconductors, however, is a complex phenomenon with several interplaying processes occurring on a wide spatial and temporal scale. In this work, we apply the atomistic-continuum approach for modeling the interaction of an fs-laser pulse with a semiconductor target, using monolithic crystalline silicon (c-Si) and porous silicon (Si). This model addresses the kinetics of non-equilibrium laser-induced phase transitions with atomic resolution via molecular dynamics, whereas the effect of the laser-generated free carriers (electron-hole pairs) is accounted for via the dynamics of their density and temperature. The combined model was applied to study the microscopic mechanism of phase transitions during the laser-induced melting and ablation of monolithic crystalline (c-Si) and porous Si targets in a vacuum. The melting thresholds for the monolithic and porous targets were found to be 0.32 J/cm2 and 0.29 J/cm2, respectively. The limited heat conduction mechanism and the absence of internal stress accumulation were found to be involved in the processes responsible for the lowering of the melting threshold in the porous target. The results of this modeling were validated by comparing the melting thresholds obtained in the simulations to the experimental values. A difference in the mechanisms of ablation of the c-Si and porous Si targets was considered. Based on the simulation results, a prediction regarding the mechanism of the laser-assisted production of Si nanoparticles with the desired properties is drawn.

Structural and tribological properties of TiSiN films with different Si content

TiSiN thin films were deposited on 52100 steel and Al2024 substrates by magnetron sputtering method using Ti and Si targets in Ar+N2 atmosphere. Power values of 40 W, 60 W, and 75 W were applied to the Si target, while the voltage was constant at 370 V for the Ti target. The Si atomic ratios within the film's structure were found to vary in accordance with the increasing Si target power. The impact of varying Si atomic ratios on the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of the films was investigated. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, hardness and wear test methods were performed. As the Si ratio increased from 10 at. % to 20 at. %, the maximum hardness value was 6.06 GPa for 52100 steel and 4.33 GPa for Al2024. With increasing Si content, the film thickness increased from 1.63 µm to 2.05 µm. The lowest surface roughness of the produced films was 0.069 for 52100 steel and 0.308 for Al2024. The lowest wear rate of TiSiN film was calculated at 1.63 × 10−4 mm3/(N.m).

Structural and tribological behaviours of silicon doped amorphous carbon films

We report on the structural evolution and low-friction behaviour of silicon (Si) doped amorphous carbon (a-C) films. Si-doped a-C films were fabricated by controlling the magnetron Si target currents under an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma system. Structural analysis indicated that Si atoms doped into the a-C lattice preferentially replaced certain sp3 C atoms, and subsequently formed bonds with other sp3 C atoms. Nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests showed that the Si-doped a-C films had hard surfaces with a hardness of approximately 24 GPa and a scratch depth of 40–60 nm. Ball-on-disk tribological evaluations further showed that these films exhibited low-friction behaviour, with a minimal friction coefficient of 0.02. Detailed transfer film characterisation revealed the formation of rich oxide and graphene structures within the stable contact-sliding interface of the Si-doped a-C film. The low friction mechanism was summarized as H–H interactions from the surface terminal passivation of Si dangling bond with hydroxide (-OH) or hydrogen (-H) groups and π*-π* interactions occurring between the graphene layers co-reducing the friction force. These findings shed light on the significance of doped Si atoms in the structural design and low-friction applications of carbon films.

Neural-network–based algorithm for the inverse problem of measuring K-shell ionization cross-sections of Si induced by 3–25 keV electrons and 4.5–9 keV positrons using the thick-target method

In this study, a neural network method is proposed for solving the inverse problem in the measurement of inner-shell ionization cross-sections using the thick-target method. It was applied to calculate the K-shell ionization cross-section of silicon (Si) from positron impacts in the energy range from 4.5 to 9 keV, using a Monte Carlo simulation program called PENELOPE to construct a comprehensive characteristic X-ray yield and cross-section database, serving as a foundation for training the neural network. The experimental values are compared with those obtained using regularization, yield differential, and distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA) theoretical models. Our findings reveal that the cross-section results obtained from all three algorithms are in good agreement with the theoretical DWBA values within the error range. Moreover, our study highlights the superiority of the neural network algorithm in solving ill-posed problems, compared with traditional regularization algorithms and the yield differential method. Furthermore, we re-analyse the experimental data of electron-induced ionization cross-sections on a pure thick Si target in the energy range from 3 to 25 keV, which were originally obtained by Zhu et al. who used a regularization method. The reprocessed cross-sections obtained in this study exhibit good agreement with the reported results within the error range. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental report of the K-shell ionization cross-sections of Si from positron impact.

Microstructure and electrochemical properties of Cr– Si–C–N coatings as biological dry electrode

Bio-electrode Cr–Si–C–N coatings were fabricated on glass and Si wafer substrates via unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Their microstructure and mechanical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nano-indentation, respectively. The Cr–Si–C–N coatings exhibited a composite structure consisting of Cr(C, N) nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous matrix of a-SiNx, a-SiCN and a-C/a-CN. The nano-hardness of the coatings decreases with an increase in graphite target current or Si target power due to the formation of more amorphous phase. CrSiCN-3A deposited under high N2 flow (25sccm) and graphite target current (3A) exhibited the lowest open-circuit voltage (OCP, 0.119V) due to its more amorphous phase. CrSiCN–800W demonstrated maximum potential drift of 7 mV, current drift of 0.01 μA and minimum noise resistance, indicating poor corrosion resistance attributed to its low silicon content (1.9 at%) and high crystallinity (70.7%). The grain size of the coatings was not significantly affected by increasing Si target power from 1000W to 1200W, but only resulted in a reduction in crystallinity. The OCP and contact resistance exhibited an initial decrease followed by an increase with increasing Si target power. Notably, CrSiCN–1000W demonstrated the lowest potential and current drift (0.19 mV, 0.0001 μA) as well as contact impedance due to its large grain size and distinct columnar microstructure.

Preparation and properties of Al/Si coating with excellent formability and corrosion resistance on steel plate

In order to simultaneously improve formability of the coated steel and corrosion resistance of steel, Al/Si coating with tailored Si content, controllable composition and structure were prepared on Q235 by combining magnetron sputtering and then treated by heat treatment. The effect of Si content on the thickness, composition, structure of Al/Si coating on the surface of Q235 steel, and corrosion resistance and formability of Al/Si coated Q235 steel were systematically investigated. With 160 W of Al target power and different Si target power (0, 60, 80 and 100 W), the thickness of the coating on Q235 steel for 1.5 h is about 5 µm. Al/Si coating thickness with 80 W of Si target power is 5.33 ± 0.32 µm. The coating on Al/Si80-Q235 is uniform and dense, and mainly consists of FeAl2Si, Fe3Al, Fe2Al5, and Al2O3. Al/Si80-Q235 demonstrated excellent formability and Al/Si80 coating improved corrosion resistance of Q235 steel. When immersed in NaCl solution, the self corrosion current density of Al/Si coated Q235 was significantly lower than Al coated Q235. Especially, the self corrosion current density of Al/Si80-Q235 was only 1/51 that of Al coated Q235. The corrosion resistance of Al/Si coated steel was remarkably improved compared with Al coated steel due to the addition of Si.