AlN Surface Research Articles

Comparison of AlN/GaN heterojunctions grown by molecular beam epitaxy with Al and Ga assistance

Although conventional III-nitride molecular-beam-epitaxy growth theories indicate that high-quality AlN should be prepared in Al-assisted regimes, AlN/GaN heterojunctions grown in Ga-assisted regimes actually demonstrate superior performances. In this letter, we compared Al-assisted and Ga-assisted grown AlN/GaN heterojunctions and explored the underlying mechanisms. Aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, and atomic force microscopy measurements indicate that the Al-assisted growth results in partly-relaxed AlN of high-density defects, deteriorating AlN/GaN interfaces, and surface morphology consisting of irregular and truncated atomic steps. The Ga-assisted growth produces high-quality pseudomorphic AlN with excellent AlN/GaN interfaces, surface morphology, and electrical properties. It is suggested that the better crystalline quality and higher performances of the Ga-assisted grown samples are attributed to a lower N subsurface diffusion barrier resulting from a higher energy of the fcc adsorption positions in the adlayer-enhanced-lateral-diffusion model and intense thermal motions of Ga adatoms. It helps to understand the kinetics of metal-adlayer-enhanced growth of AlN and AlN/GaN heterojunctions at atomic scale and optimize the growth processes. Meanwhile, it is demonstrated that amorphization and Al diffusion near the AlN surfaces occur due to Pt bombardment on highly tensile-strained AlN during focused-ion-beam fabrications. It implies that large strain in AlN/GaN heterojunctions might be an important issue to be considered for device reliability.

Enhanced mechanical properties of SPS sintered h–BN based ceramics with Al3BC3 addition

A novel h–BN based ceramics, fabricated through spark plasma sintering, was developed by incorporating varying Al3BC3 additives. At high temperatures, Al3BC3 reacted with h–BN, resulting in the in–situ formation of AlN, B4C, and C. AlN acted as the primary reinforcement distributed along the grain boundaries of h–BN, creating a structural framework that filled internal pores and improved material density. DFT calculations highlighted favorable bonding at the interfaces between h–BN (100) and AlN (100) surfaces, and this robust bonding contributed to further enhancing their thermodynamic stability and mechanical properties. Upon reaching the Al3BC3 addition of 30 wt%, the h–BN–based composite ceramics exhibited optimal comprehensive performance, and the corresponding relative density, flexural strength, fracture toughness, and vickers hardness reached values of 96.86 %, 229.36 ± 2.14 MPa, 2.81 ± 0.03 MPa·m1/2, and 175.87 ± 8.81 kg·mm−2 respectively.

Pit density reduction for AlN epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy using Al modulation method

Abstract We have investigated homoepitaxy of AlN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on AlN/sapphire templates by adopting both the continuous growth method and the Al modulation epitaxy (AME) growth method. The continuous growth method encounters significant challenges in controlling the growth mode. As the precise Al/N = 1.0 ratio is difficult to achieve, either the excessive Al-rich or N-rich growth mode occurs. In contrast, by adopting the AME growth method, such a difficulty has been effectively overcome. By manipulating the supply time of the Al and nitrogen sources, we were able to produce AlN films with much improved surface morphology. The first step of the AME method, only supplying Al atoms, is important to wet the surface and the Al adatoms can act as a surfactant. Optimization of the initial Al supply time can effectively reduce the pit density on the grown AlN surface. The pits density dropped from 12 pits/μm2 to 1 pit/μm2 and the surface roughness reduced from 0.72 nm to 0.3 nm in a 2 × 2 μm2 area for the AME AlN film homoepitaxially grown on an AlN template.

High strength of SiC–AlN–TiB2–VC multiphase ceramics induced by interface reactions

In this work, SiC–AlN–TiB2–VC multiphase ceramics with high bending strength were prepared via spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1900 °C-2100 °C. The effects of interface reactions and solid solution reactions on microstructure and mechanical properties of these multiphase ceramics were investigated. Results show that the densification of multiphase ceramics is promoted effectively by the addition of Y2O3. Yttrium aluminum oxide with low melting point is formed due to the reaction between Al2O3 (on the surface of AlN) and Y2O3, which promotes the densification of SiC multiphase ceramics. Solid-solution reaction and interface reaction occur between matrix (SiC) and reinforcing phases (AlN, TiB2, and VC). Furthermore, solid-solution reactions occur between SiC and AlN, between AlN and TiB2, and between TiB2 and VC. Al5C3N phase is generated by interfacial reaction between SiC and AlN. Layered, rod-like BN(C) phase is formed at grain boundaries due to the reaction between AlN and B2O3 on the surface of TiB2 particles. Mechanical strength of multiphase ceramics is improved by the formation of solid solutions and the occurrence of these interfacial reactions. When sintered at 2000 °C, SiC multiphase ceramics with added Y2O3 exhibit excellent properties, including relative density of 99.8 %, Vickers hardness of 27.1 GPa, and bending strength of 666 MPa.

First-principles calculation on the interfacial stability, electronic structure and fracture mechanism of NbN/AlN interface

The interfacial stability of NbN(111)/AlN(0001) including interfacial energy, Wad(work of adhesion) and electronic structure were studied by first-principles calculation. The N1-Nb-cen interface(constructed with N1-terminated AlN(0001) and Nb-terminated NbN(111)) is determined to be the most stable interface which has the smallest interfacial distance(1.11 Å) and largest Wad(15.04 J/m2) among the 28 considered interface models. The electronic structure and ideal tensile stress of the N1-Nb-cen, N2-Nb-top, Al2-N-top and Al1-Nb-cen interfaces were also investigated. The AlN surface has stronger ionic bond than that in NbN surface according to the analysis of Mulliken charges. The bonding feature of N1-Nb-cen interface is ionic with strong covalent, while the other three interfaces have mainly ionic bond. The ideal tensile stress of the N2-Nb-top interface is the largest (22.88 GPa) at the strain of 17 %, which is larger than that of N1-Nb-cen interface. The fracture will occur at the interface for the Al2-N-top and Al1-Nb-cen interfaces, while it occurs at the AlN interior for the N1-Nb-cen and N2-Nb-top interfaces, due to the Wad of the N1-Nb-cen and N2-Nb-top interfaces are larger than the other two interfaces and atomic stacking of AlN surface.

Structural Stability of Vicinal AlN(0001) and GaN(0001) Surfaces with Steps and Kinks under Metal–Organic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy Condition: A First-Principles Study

Structural Stability of Vicinal AlN(0001) and GaN(0001) Surfaces with Steps and Kinks under Metal–Organic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy Condition: A First-Principles Study

Influences of Cu content on the microstructure and reinforcing behavior of network AlN/Al composites at 350 °C

Reinforcement configuration of Al composites has recently been at the center of attention. In this study, through the analysis of microstructure and tensile properties, effects of Cu content on the reinforcing behaviors of AlN network were investigated in details. Results indicated that the increasing amount of Cu would form micron Al2Cu which would decorated on the AlN network. With the increasing amount of Cu addition from 1.5% to 6%, the particle size of Al2Cu increased from 1 μm to 10 μm. Besides the micron Al2Cu, Cu elements were also existed in θ′ precipitates in the region where were poor of AlN and segregated on the surface of AlN. Given the microstructure changes with different Cu addition, the tensile properties at room temperature increased with Cu addition while the average tensile strength at 350 °C were decreased from 102 MPa to 85 MPa. The addition of elements would affect the bearing capacity of the 8.2AlN/Al–Cu composites at 350 °C. Firstly, the micron Al2Cu phase would suffer the load and get stress concentration. It would lead to the premature imitation of voids and strongly impair the strengthening behavior of AlN network. Secondly, the nano θ′ precipitates would become coarsen and the hinder effects of dislocation would be enhanced at 350 °C. Finally, the segregated Cu atoms on the AlN surface could increase the deformation coordination of AlN network and help decrease the stress concentration.

Wireless Temperature Measurement for Curved Surfaces Based on AlN Surface Acoustic Wave Resonators.

In this paper, we propose a novel method for temperature measurement using surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensors on curved or irregular surfaces. We integrate SAW resonators onto flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) to ensure better conformity of the temperature sensor with the surface of the object under test. Compared to traditional rigid PCBs, FPCBs offer greater dynamic flexibility, lighter weight, and thinner thickness, which make them an ideal choice for making SAW devices working for temperature measurements under curved surfaces. We design a temperature sensor array consisting of three devices with different operating frequencies to measure the temperature at multiple points on the surface of the object. To distinguish between different target points in the sensor array, each sensor operates at a different frequency, and the operating frequency bands do not overlap. This differentiation is achieved using Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) technology. Experimental results indicate that the frequency temperature coefficients of these sensors are -30.248 ppm/°C, -30.195 ppm/°C, and -30.115 ppm/°C, respectively. In addition, the sensor array enables wireless communication via antenna and transceiver circuits. This innovation heralds enhanced adaptability and applicability for SAW temperature sensor applications.

High performance of Ag/AlN/Si Schottky diode: Study of the DC sputtering power effect on its electrical properties

The DC sputtering power (DCSP) effect on the chemical composition, structural and electrical properties of Ag/AlN/Si Schottky diode was studied. The AlN films grown on Si substrate were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infra-Red (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy. The analyzes by XRD, FTIR and Raman show stability at the level of the structure and the qualitative chemical composition of the AlN layer for DCSP of 200 W and 400 W. However, the quantity of chemical compounds on the surface of AlN is affected by this variation. From Current-Voltage (I-V) measurements, the ideality factor (n), barrier height (φb), and series resistance (Rs) were extracted by adopting Cheung functions. Diodes with an AlN interlayer elaborated at 400 W have good rectifying behavior with n, Rs and φb of 3.11, 1930 Ω, and 0.93 eV, respectively. The enhancement of the Ag/AlN/Si diode performance was attributed to the reduction of undesirable impurities in the Ag/AlN interface as well as the morphological improvement of the AlN layer. Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) measurements showed that carrier donor concentrations are strongly affected by DC sputtering power. The elaborate structures may provide new materials with electrical properties having a wide range of applications in electronics and photovoltaic field.

Ab initio study for adsorption behavior on AlN(0001) surface with steps and kinks during metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy

We present our systematic theoretical study by performing ab initio calculations to clarify the behavior of adsorption for constituent atoms such as Al and N on a vicinal AlN(0001) surface with step edges and kinks during metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The calculations reveal that the surface reconstruction affects the adsorption of Al and N adatoms near the kinks and step edges. Furthermore, we find the incorporation of an Al adatom at the kink and that of N adatoms not only at the kink but also in the terrace regions. The calculated results give some insights for an atomic-scale understanding of the step-flow growth during the MOVPE growth of AlN.

Emerging ferroelectric materials ScAlN: applications and prospects in memristors.

The research found that after doping with rare earth elements, a large number of electrons and holes will be produced on the surface of AlN, which makes the material have the characteristics of spontaneous polarization. A new type of ferroelectric material has made a new breakthrough in the application of nitride-materials in the field of integrated devices. In this paper, the application prospects and development trends of ferroelectric material ScAlN in memristors are reviewed. Firstly, various fabrication processes and structures of the current ScAlN thin films are described in detail to explore the implementation of their applications in synaptic devices. Secondly, a series of electrical properties of ScAlN films, such as the current switching ratio and long-term cycle durability, were tested to explore whether their electrical properties could meet the basic needs of memristor device materials. Finally, a series of summaries on the current research studies of ScAlN thin films in the synaptic simulation are made, and the working state of ScAlN thin films as a synaptic device is observed. The results show that the ScAlN ferroelectric material has high residual polarization, no wake-up function, excellent stability and obvious STDP behavior, which indicates that the modified material has wide application prospects in the research and development of memristors.

Enhancement of hardness and corrosion resistance of Al-Si-N multilayer color coating via SiN/AlSiN/AlN compositional gradient interlayer

The color of AlN/Si/Al coating can be controlled by the thickness of the AlN layer according to the interference effect. However, the loading capacity is affected by the large hardness difference between the Si and Al layers. Corrosion resistance is relatively weak due to penetration defects in the AlN surface layer. In this work, therefore, a SiN/AlSiN/AlN interlayer is sputtered in between the Si/Al layer in the AlN/Si/Al coating as the transition layer. The chemical state, structure, morphology, color, hardness, and corrosion resistance of the as-deposited Al-Si-N coating are carefully characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectrometry, grazing incident x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscope, colorimeter, nanoindentation, and electrochemical corrosion meter, respectively. To evaluate the long-term corrosion resistance, the uncoated, AlN/Si/Al-coated, and AlN/Si/SiN/AlSiN/AlN/Al-coated AZ31B Mg alloys are immersed in salt solution for different durations, followed by characterization of morphology and composition. The results show that the SiN/AlSiN/AlN interlayer is of a gradient structure in both composition and hardness. The AlN crystals grow continuously from the Al bonding layer into the AlSiN layer, resulting in internal longitudinal grain boundaries. The coating surface becomes smoother with a roughness (Rq) of 12.6 nm. The color of the coating is controlled by the AlN surface layer thickness. The coating hardness increases from 6.5 to 20.6 GPa. The corrosion current density of the coating decreases from 2.02 × 10−6 to 1.99 × 10−8 A/cm2. The coating could withstand corrosion in salt solution for at least 192h. The gradient structure of the interlayer effectively alleviates the hardness difference between the Si layer and the Al layer and inhibits the penetration of the corrosive medium from the surface. The mechanism for the enhanced corrosion resistance is explained through a model.

AIN particles/BN whiskers co-doped epoxy composites modified with polydopamine with high thermal conductivity

In this work, aluminum nitride particles (AlN) and boron nitride whiskers (BNw) were surface-functionalized by polydopamine, and then novel composites were prepared by co-doping. By observing with transmission electron microscopy, we clearly saw that the surfaces of AlN and BNw were successfully coated with a thin polydopamine coating. This is beneficial to enhance the filler-matrix interface interaction and the filler dispersion. The co-doping of the two thermally conductive fillers increases the chance of contact between the filler and the filler, and reduces the interfacial thermal resistance, thereby forming a thermal conduction network more efficiently. The results show that at a frequency of 1 MHz at room temperature, the dielectric constant of 30 wt%AlN@PDA/6 wt%BNw@PDA/EP composites is 4.74 and the dielectric loss tangent is 0.0171. Its thermal conductivity is 0.40 W/(m·K), the glass transition temperature reaches 250.2°C, the impact strength reaches 6.89 kJ m−2, and the breakdown field is 10.93 kV/mm.

Electron-Beam Processing of Aluminum-Containing Ceramics in the Forevacuum Pressure Range

Aluminum–ceramic materials based on Al2O3 and AlN are widely used in the electronics industry and, according to a number of electrophysical and technical and economic parameters, are among the most suitable for the production of electrical and radio engineering products. In this study, it is shown that the treatment of ceramics based on Al2O3 with an electron beam with a power of 200–1100 W and a current of 10–50 mA leads to heating of the ceramic surface to a temperature of 1700 °C. When heated to a temperature of 1500 °C and kept at this temperature for no more than 10 s, an increase in the roughness of the ceramic surface is observed by more than an order of magnitude. At the same time, for ceramic substrates based on aluminum nitride, an increase in the temperature of electron beam treatment from 1300 to 1700 °C leads to an increase in thermal conductivity from 1.5 to 2 times. The edge angle of water wetting of the AlN surface can vary from 20 to 100 degrees depending on the processing temperature, which allows one to control the transition of the material from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic state. At the same time, electron beam exposure to Al2O3 does not change the wettability of this material so much. Electron beam processing in the forevacuum pressure region allows controlled changes in the electrophysical properties of ceramic materials based on Al2O3 and AlN.

Ab initio investigations of two-dimensional carrier gas at interfaces in GaN/AlN and GaN/AlN/Al2O3 heterostructures

The formation of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the GaN (0001)/AlN interface holds significant implications for GaN-based high-voltage and high-frequency (RF) devices. Due to the promising results provided by the addition of a thin layer of AlN in metal–oxide-semiconductor channel high-electron-mobility transistor devices, this interface can be found in both the access region and near the dielectric gate. Recent ab initio simulations shed light on the crucial role played by spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations within polar GaN and AlN crystals in driving the formation of the 2DEG. This study explores the underlying mechanisms behind the 2DEG formation and investigates the impact of fixed charges and additional layers, like Al2O3, on the carrier concentration. Consistent with the literature, our findings highlight the predominant role of polarizations within III–V materials in the formation of the 2DEG. Moreover, we examine the influence of fixed charges on the AlN surface, revealing their ability to accumulate or deplete the 2DEG, while maintaining charge conservation through the emergence of a new two-dimensional charge gas on the AlN surface. Additionally, we explore the effects of incorporating a β-Al2O3 crystal layer on the GaN/AlN structure, finding that the 2DEG’s carrier density is reduced, yet not entirely eliminated, while a significant positive charge concentration at the AlN/Al2O3 interface pins the Fermi level. This comprehensive investigation contributes to our understanding of microscopic phenomena in III–V heterostructures, paving the way for future advancements and applications in power electronics.

Construction of interfacial synergistic effect AlN/g-C3N4 2D/2D Z-type heterojunction for high-performance and stable visible-light photocatalytic removal of Rhodamine B and tetracycline

This study featured the synthesis and characterization of a highly effective AlN/g-C3N4 composite photocatalyst using a combination of physical grinding and calcination methods. The composite material exhibited a unique two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) structure, with flocculent g-C3N4 uniformly coated on the surface of AlN. A series of characterization techniques including FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR and XPS committed the successful formation of the AlN/g-C3N4 heterostructure. The AlN/g-C3N4 composite demonstrates the improved catalytic efficiency compared to pure AlN, which can be evidenced by its exceptional photocatalytic degradation performance under visible-light irradiation. The AlN/g-C3N4 composite materials exhibited significant degradation of (RhB) and tetracycline (TC). Especially, the 20 % AlN/g-C3N4 component showed particularly remarkable adsorption and catalytic activity, with 98.4 % degradation of RhB solution in 25 min and 83.0 % degradation of TC solution in 60 min, with efficiencies about 3.9 and 6.8 times higher than that of pure g-C₃N4, attributed to its larger specific surface area and a smaller pore structure compared to pure g-C3N4. Moreover, the AlN/g-C3N4 heterojunction exhibited outstanding stability and reusability throughout four consecutive experimental cycles, highlighting its long-lasting and reliable performance. FT-IR analysis confirmed the structural stability of the composite material, and the free radical experiments revealed the dominant role of the holes (h+) free radical in the photocatalytic reaction. Additionally, UV–vis diffuse reflectance and Mott-Schottky tests supported the Z-type charge carrier transport route as the photocatalytic mechanism. Overall, the AlN/g-C3N4 heterostructure have shown great potential as a highly efficient photocatalyst for pollutant degradation, due to its unique structure, high specific surface area, and effective charge carrier separation, making it a promising material for diverse environmental applications.

Silicon diffusion in AlN

In this study, we investigate the diffusion of Si donors in AlN. Amorphous Si1−xNx sputtered on the surface of bulk AlN with low dislocation density is used as a Si source. The diffusion experiments are conducted through isochronal and isothermal annealing in a protective N2 atmosphere at temperatures between 1500 and 1700 °C. The Si depth profiles measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry exhibit a convex box-like shape with a steep diffusion front. These concentration profiles are best described with a diffusion coefficient that depends on the square of local Si concentration. From the characteristic box-shaped Si profiles, we conclude that diffusion of Si in AlN is mediated by singly negatively charged dopant–vacancy pairs SiAlVAl−. The strong concentration dependence of Si diffusion is due to the electric field associated with the incorporation of Si donors (SiAl+1) on substitutional Al lattice sites and reflects that Si is fully electrically active at diffusion temperature. The experimentally obtained extrinsic Si diffusion coefficient is reduced to intrinsic doping conditions. The temperature dependence of Si diffusion for intrinsic conditions is described by an activation enthalpy of (10.34±0.32)eV and a pre-exponential factor of 235−203+1485cm2s−1. The migration enthalpy of the donor–vacancy pair SiAlVAl− is estimated to be around 3.5 eV. This estimation is based on the activation enthalpy of the transport capacity of SiAlVAl− and theoretical results concerning the formation energy of negatively charged vacancies on Al-sites in AlN.

Tweaking the mechanical stability of Al1−xWxN ternary nitride alloys for hard coating applications, and study on their structural, photoluminescence and surface chemical analysis

This study focuses on the synthesis and achievement of ternary Al1−xWxN nitride films as hard coating materials. A dual-target DC reactive magnetron sputtering process was used to coat Al1−xWxN thin films on Si (100), glass, and transparent quartz substrates. The elemental analysis of the films was calculated by energy dispersion spectroscopy and the corresponding value of x changes from 0 to 1. The X-ray diffraction data showed a-axis orientation of the AlN films with hexagonal phase and amorphous nature for Al0.78W0.22N and Al0.58W0.42N films. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the surface morphology of Al0.78W0.22N films was better than that of AlN and Al0.3W0.7N films, as evidenced by the significantly lower root-mean-square roughness value of 1.79 nm compared to 5.78 and 13.9 nm, respectively. The resistivity of Al1−xWxN films was determined by a four-probe method and resulted in a record low value of 4.08 × 10−5 Ω-m for WN films. The photoluminescence emission spectra showed distinct peaks in the visible region at different wavelengths, and the deconvoluted blue emission peak was attributed to the native defects in the Al1−xWxN films. X-ray absorption spectroscopy data showed an increase in feature-a from Al0.78W0.22N to Al0.58W0.42N films, indicating stronger hybridization of N 2p with Al 3p and W 5d orbitals due to π * -resonance. The oxygen content calculated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was 34.6, 35.39, and 19.74 at% on the surface of AlN, Al0.58W0.42N, and WN films, respectively. The surface oxidation of AlN films triggered the transfer of charge from nitrogen to oxygen on the surface of AlN films. The nanoindentation results showed that the Al0.3W0.7N films have hardness and elastic modulus of 17.84 GPa and 196.96 GPa, which are higher than those of the other Al1−xWxN films, while the AlN films have higher fracture toughness due to the reduction of contact pressure.

Interaction of Si Atom with the (001) Surface of TiN, AlN and TaN Compounds

Nowadays, the application of multicomponent coatings with multiphase nanocrystalline structure is the most promising direction in the search for wear-resistant protective coatings with a full set of necessary operational properties. Nanocrystalline multicomponent coatings based on the Ti-Al-Ta-Si-N system have a high hardness combined with thermal stability and oxidation resistance. Silicon atoms are weakly soluble in the TiN, Ti1−xAlxN, and TaN crystalline phases of the Ti-Al-Ta-Si-N system and interact preferentially with N atoms, forming the amorphous Si3N4 phase. In this context, it is important to first study the peculiarities of the interaction of Si atoms with the simplest structural units of the Ti-Al-Ta-Si-N system, such as TiN, AlN, and TaN compounds with the NaCl structure. This work is devoted to the study of the interaction of a Si atom with the (001) surface of AlN, TiN, and TaN compounds with the NaCl structure using ab initio calculations. This provides information for a deep understanding of the initial stages of the formation of different crystallites of the considered composite. It was established that the adsorption of silicon on the (001) surface of AlN, TiN, and TaN significantly increases the relaxation of the surface layers and leads to an increase in the corrugation observed on the clean surfaces. The largest corrugation is observed on the surface of the TaN compound. The most energetically favorable adsorption positions of Si atoms were found to be the position of Si above the N atom on the TiN and TaN surfaces and the quadruple coordinated position on the AlN surface. The valence electron density distribution and the crystal orbital Hamiltonian population were studied to identify the type of Si atom bonding with the (001) surface of AlN, TiN, and TaN compounds. It was found that silicon forms predominantly covalent bonds with the nearest metal and nitrogen atoms, except for the quadruple coordinated position on the surface of TiN and TaN, where there is a high degree of ionic bonding of silicon with surface atoms.

Hybrid Coating of Polystyrene–ZrO2 for Corrosion Protection of AM Magnesium Alloys

A hybrid material of polystyrene (PS)–ZrO2 was developed by the sol–gel technique and deposited by spin-coating on AM60 and AM60–AlN nanocomposite surfaces to enhance corrosion resistance in marine environments. PS–ZrO2 with an average thickness of ≈305 ± 20 nm was dispersed homogeneously, presenting isolated micro–nano-structure defects with air trapped inside, which led to an increase in roughness (≈4 times). The wettability of the coated substrates was close to the hydrophobic border (θCA=90°–94°). The coated samples were exposed for 30 days to SME solution, simulating the marine–coastal ambience. The initial pH = 7.94 of the SME shifted to more alkaline pH ≈ 8.54, suggesting the corrosion of the Mg matrix through the coating defects. In the meantime, the release of Mg2+ from the PS–ZrO2-coated alloy surfaces was reduced by ≈90% compared to that of non-coated. Localized pitting attacks occurred in the vicinity of Al–Mn and β–Mg17Al12 cathodic particles characteristic of the Mg matrix. The depth of penetration (≈23 µm) was reduced by ≈85% compared to that of non-coated substrates. The protective effect against Cl ions, attributed to the hybrid PS–ZrO2-coated AM60 and AM60–AlN surfaces, was confirmed by the increase in their polarization resistance (Rp) in 37% and 22%, respectively, calculated from EIS data.