Investigations on codeposited aluminum-tin systems with SIMS

Sputter deposited coatings of immiscible two-component systems as aluminum- tin are used for automotive applications as plain bearings to obtain longer lifetimes for high performance diesel engines. In the manufacturing proces s many parameters as temperature, deposition rate, deposition time or eleme nt ratio can be varied. In an experimental two target sputter plant coating s have been produced at different temperatures, especially one near the mel ting point of Sn, by applying a codeposition technique. The structures and the distributions of Al and Sn in these coatings have been investigated wit h secondary Ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS).