SURFACE-TREATMENT BY PULSED ION-IMPLANTATION DEVELOPED BY PLASMA FOCII DEVICES

A pulsed ion implanter Plasma Focus generates ion beams with ion energ ies between 20 keV and several MeV and temporal widths between 250 ns and 500 ns. High uniform nitrogen concentration in Ti is obtained with the appearance of the TiNx (x=0.8) phase. In N-implanted high speed s teel, an increase of 2.3 in the wear resistance was found with the gen eration of the gamma-Fe4N phase. In both cases a thermal effect was ob served, in addition to pure ion implantation, which was evidenced by m elted surface and compound dissolution. Optical Emission Spectroscopy and X-Ray detection were used as diagnostic techniques of the discharg e.