Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of Cr2O3 and Nd2O3 coatings. Oxidegrowth kinetics and characterization

Thin oxide films of Cr2O3 and Nd2O3 were prepared, using Metal-Organic Chem ical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) technique, to protect stainless steels agains t corrosion at high temperature. The conditions of precursor volatilization were studied by thermogravimetry. Deposited film growth kinetics depended on the deposition parameters, particularly substrate temperature, gas flow rate and location of substrate in the coating reactor. The influence of the deposition parameters on the deposition rate and the uniformity of the fil ms is discussed. The oxide films were characterized by scanning electron mi croscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy ( TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The aim of this work was to optimiz e coating parameters in order to prepare mixed Nd2O3-Cr2O3 films, leading t o the most important: protective effects under high temperature corrosion c onditions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.