INTENSE PLASMA PULSES - 2 MODES OF THE USE FOR SURFACE PROCESSING PURPOSES

The stainless steel substrates AISI321 were irradiated with high inten sity pulsed plasma beams containing copper and nitrogen ions at variou s proportions. The mass change, the total copper content and elemental composition of the surface layer were examined. An effective mixing o f Cu and N atoms with the substrate material accompanied by mass ablat ion has been revealed for N rich plasma beams. Also, an evidence of se gregation effects caused by pulse melting has been found. The origin o f the observed ablation effect is discussed in terms of evaporation an d sputtering mechanisms. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.