ADHESION STUDIES OF RADIOFREQUENCY SPUTTERED ALN FILMS ON XC-70 STEELSUBSTRATES - EFFECT OF AGING TREATMENT AFTER DEPOSITION

This paper presents the results obtained by reactive radiofrequency sp utter deposition of aluminium films onto XC 70 steel in a nitrogen atm osphere. The effect of humidity and temperature on ageing was determin ed by the such scratch test via the critical load. AES analyses of the Al coating have shown that the aluminium was completely bonded to nit rogen after ageing, whereas prior to ageing some aluminium was present in the metallic state. A similar observation was made in the case of samples heated in vacuum after deposition. Thus it was concluded that the increase in the critical load arising from the ageing treatment of the samples resulted from an increase in the coating hardness because of the bonding of aluminium to nitrogen.