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Oxide coated PET films, produced by EB-evaporation are today a commercial reality in Europe and Japan as barrier materials in food packaging. Process improvements, involving plasma pretreatment, ion-assisted evaporation and special evaporation material compositions have now led to new products and applications, like retortable “water-clear” oxide coated barrier films, high barrier oxide coated oPA films, and low cost oxide coated oPP films. Also the technology holds the potential for the creation of new products in technical and security applications.

The inclusion of plasma in materials processing applications generally offers the benefit of substantially reduced process temperatures, greater flexibility in tailoring the gas-phase chemistry to produce desired film characteristics, and the ability to affect film crystallinity and phase. The benefits plasmas provide, however, come at the cost of a complex array of process variables that often challenge the ability to predict, a priori, the influence of any one input parameter. When the goal is control over material synthesis with atomic scale precision, a robust understanding of plasma source behavior and plasma material interactions becomes critical.

Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and plasma enhanced atomic layer etching (PEALEt) are the two techniques used to achieve atomic scale control in material processing. While the aims these two methods are in opposition the types of plasma sources used are often similar. As such the suite of diagnostics used to assess these sources are similar. This presentation will focus on what plasma parameters (electron temperature, plasma potential, and plasma density) are of interest in determining how a plasma source will interact a surface, and how one measures these plasma parameters in sources used for PEALD and PEALEt. The presentation will cover the use of probes and optical emission spectroscopy as a tools for diagnosing changes in the physico-chemical properties of the plasma and how these changes affect the delivery of reactive and energetic species to the material surface. The discussion will include the results from select processing applications, where changes in plasma properties are linked to differences in material properties.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0041

IBC Materials and Technologies has developed an innovative amorphous chromium carbide (a-CrC) coating, deposited via low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology. Unlike most other commercial CVD coatings that are deposited above 1000°C, a-CrC is applied at less than 450°C. This allows for the coating of most engineering materials without negatively affecting the mechanical properties or dimensional stability. The a-CrC coating bonds directly and tenaciously to a large variety of metals, including alloys of steel, stainless steel, nickel, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten, copper, magnesium, and aluminum, as well as ceramics and composites. With a hardness of over 1500 HV, a-CrC can provide a substantial improvement to wear, abrasion, and galling resistance. The amorphous, chemically inert microstructure of a-CrC is characterized by its complete lack of pores, grain boundaries, cracks, or other defects. The coating process is also non-line-of-sight, which ensures uniform coverage for complex components and tight tolerances. This combination of density and conformity leads to unmatched corrosion performance. Layers as thin as 2 microns can provide complete immunity against salt fog, concentrated acids, and crevice corrosion. Additionally, a-CrC is unaffected by high temperature oxidation up to 750°C. Unlike many metal plating or CVD coatings, the a-CrC process does not use or produce hazardous acidic waste or hexavalent chromium compounds. IBC has demonstrated the performance of this coating technology across several demanding Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial applications to date, including cadmium replacement, hard chrome replacement, liquid gallium corrosion resistance, and molten sodium corrosion resistance.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0052

Quantum device performance losses are predominantly from surfaces and interfaces. In diamond and SiC-based quantum sensors, for example, surface and interface defects lead to reduced spin coherence times (T2) and zero phonon line (ZPL) emission spectral diffusion. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) and  atomic layer etch (ALE) enable precise engineering of materials and interfaces to minimize these losses.

Conventional etching techniques, while sufficient for many classical applications, suffer from amorphization, Ar ion implantation, and reactant diffusion in the first 3-7 nm of etched interfaces. This damaged region, also called the selvage layer, is a source of unwanted interactions and losses. Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) offers three key advantages for quantum sensor fabrication: (1) surface smoothing, (2) precise etch rate, and (3) reduced selvage layer depth.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is particularly well-suited for sensor devices requiring thin, uniform, and reproducible superconducting films with tunable properties, such as superconducting nanowire single photon detectors and kinetic inductance-based sensors.

We will introduce ALD and ALE and discuss specific processes and use-cases for quantum sensor device fabrication, including work conducted with our global network of academic partners and collaborators.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0057

Printed magnetoresistive sensors are paving the way for novel applications like contactless flexible electromagnetic switches and touchless human-machine interfaces. The reported sensors, which can be processed with industrial printing methods, are based on non-saturating large magnetoresistance materials like bismuth. However, due to their limited sensitivity in the low field range certain applications like smart textile technologies and safety wearables are still not accessible. To overcome these limitations, a scalable technological approach, called MAG4INK, will be presented for the preparation of printed flexible anisotropic magnetoresisitve (AMR) sensors with a sensitivity in the low field range. The combination of high quality PVD layers, utilizing the superior process control for the synthesis of ultrapure magneto resistive material with an adjustable morphology and structure, and advanced printing technologies is the core of the MAG4INK technology. Therefore, 100 nm thin magnetic films were coated on a sacrificial layer, released by a lift off process and processed via ultrasound milling to powder. By using this powder to formulate printable inks and pastes for printing in combination with innovative high-power diode laser array post-processing, it is currently possible to realize sensors with a magnetoresistive effect of about 0.5 % in magnetic fields of ±6 mT, with the goal of shifting the sensitivity into sub mT range.

The utilization of high rate tubular cathodes and high throughput in-line PVD equipment ensures yields of several grams of powder per day. The approaches for solving the challenges of manufacturing of iron (Fe) and permalloy (NiFe) thin films as well as the source technology for stable magnetic sputtering will be shown. The synthesis-structure-property relations of the resulting films will be presented.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0056

More than 60% of all product innovations are based on the development of new and improved high-performance materials, which requires continuous optimization of associated production technologies and manufacturing processes. Coatings by physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma-assisted CVD (PACVD) are in many cases essential to increase productivity and to ensure excellent product quality while minimizing production downtime and scrap rate in forming and molding tool applications.

Increased lightweight design, improved fuel economy and robustness in modern vehicles are the key drivers for the continuous development of new materials and make the automotive sector a prime example utilizing press hardened steels (PHS), martensitic and multi-phase ultra-high strength steels (UHSS), dual phase advanced high strength steels (AHSS) and aluminum alloys in the automotive body.

The associated forming applications cover a broad stress profile that results in complex demands on the coated forming tools. This includes a high resistance to impact fatigue and crack formation under cyclic loading as well as a high resistance to abrasive and adhesive wear.

One encouraging way of forming these highly demanding materials is to reduce the frictional forces between the die and the workpiece material such that the optimum material flow during the forming operation is achieved. A promising approach is to set the optimum friction state, (while minimizing costly and environmentally harmful lubricant usage), by incorporating the lubrication properties into the PVD or PACVD coating.

This paper deals with the investigation of the potential of hard coatings with reduced frictional properties for industrial forming applications. Three different lubricant concepts in the as-deposited state are discussed, including solid lubricants with layer-lattice structure, such as sulfides (MoS₂), diamond-like carbon (DLC), as well as oxides. Current research and development needs and the preferred coating solutions are introduced based on the performance in field tests at Ionbond^TM's customers.

The wide gap between basic analysis of the coating solutions and time- and cost-intensive field tests at customers’ sites is closed by application-oriented model tests. Results from an impact fatigue tester simulating the kinematics in metal sheet forming demonstrate the importance of plasma nitriding to improve the load-carrying capacity for the follow-up PVD coating. The improved impact fatigue behavior of such duplex coatings also reflected in improved performance in the forming application.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0051

Thanks to its UV absorption, refractive index, and durability, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films have become a popular choice in applications ranging from fuel cells and displays to photovoltaic devices and a wide variety of glass coatings. Increasingly, the TiO₂ sputtering process is driven by precisely applied pulsed-DC power due to advantages such as arc prevention, superior film quality, throughput, and yield. Operators have a number of options when it comes to configuring their pulsed-DC power supply and need to understand the configuration that will optimize their particular process. In this paper, we consider the effects of different power configurations on the process using data obtained from an industrial-sized drumcoater setup for sputtering of TiO₂ films from sub-stoichiometric TiO_x targets. In particular, we investigate changes to the process using pulsed-DC power supplies in bipolar mode, dual reverse pulsing (DRP) mode, and unipolar pulsed mode. Among the effects presented will be dynamic deposition rate, substrate temperature increase, refractive index, and stoichiometry.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0043

In this study, high temperature tribological behavior of nanolayer TiAlN/TiSiN coating was evaluated against the Al₂O₃ counter-body using a pin-on-disk tribometer. The coating was deposited on the WC-Co substrate, in an industrial batch, using a magnetron sputtering unit. Tribological tests were conducted at room temperature, 500, 600, 700, and 760 °C, in air and nitrogen atmospheres. The obtained wear tracks were examined using various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. The investigated coating displayed very good tribological behavior and retained its mechanical properties at high temperatures. The coating tested in air exhibited slightly higher values and more unstable coefficient of friction (COF) and lower wear rates (except for 700 °C) than at room temperature. On the other hand, tribo-tests in nitrogen exhibited similar and slightly lower COF values, more stable COF curves, and several times lower wear rates than at room temperature. It is suggested that unstable COF and lower wear rates obtained at elevated temperatures are a consequence of the formation of a protective Al-oxide tribo-layer in the wear track. In both air and nitrogen atmospheres, the wear rate increased with temperature. The increase in wear rate at high temperatures is a combination of the reduction of mechanical properties and damage of the protective oxide due to intensive oxidation.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0053

Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings have enabled many diverse technologies and thus become omnipresent in our daily lives over the past half-century or so. For example, hard coatings deposited on cutting tools like hobs, mills and inserts have been around for more than 40 years, and their use was a “green” technology due to the improved wear-resistance (leading to a reduction in tool consumption) before the term “green” came into the lexicon. New applications require the continuous improvement of coatings, either through new compositions, new architectures, or both. There is often a need to reduce cycle time, which requires higher power densities. Equipment manufacturers are also constantly evolving their equipment, incorporating new target designs, power supplies and/or other requirements. None of these advances can be achieved without the target manufacturers keeping pace. In fact, sometimes progress does not occur unless the target manufacturer works in tandem with consumers to find a solution. All of this requires a thorough understanding of PVD processes and their implications. To get a glimpse into the possibilities for the future of targets for hard and component coatings, it will be important to see what has been done in the past and what is being accomplished in the present in these and other applications. By illustrating the challenges that have been overcome, a better understanding of the possibilities will exist, which can help us work together to develop the products of the future.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0049

There is considerable interest in diamond-like carbon (DLC) due to the versatility of its application, with protective coatings being applied in areas such as optical windows, car parts, biomedical coatings and microelectronics. This versatility stems from the favourable mechanical, optical and tribological properties that DLC coatings can offer. The unique properties of DLC layers are largely governed by two parameters: 1) Its bonding configuration (the sp³/sp² ratio), and 2) the hydrogen content within the DLC layer.

The most common industrial process for the deposition of DLC is magnetron sputtering. However, traditional magnetron sputtering methods are limited in their production of large energy, highly ionised species. The bombardment of these species at the DLC surface during film growth are required to increase sp³ bonding fractions, and give DLC coatings their diamond like properties. Therefore, additional means to promote the more diamond like properties within the coating should be sought. It has been shown previously how doping of the DLC coating with non-metal elements, such as nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O), can produce enhanced tribological, mechanical and electrochemical properties. Specifically, sputter produced a-C:O showed higher sp³ bonding and better electrochemical properties relative to undoped a-C, and N doped DLC has shown improved nano-scratch and mechanical properties.

In this work, we introduce methods of plasma process control and non-metal doping to optimise magnetron sputtering of carbon and produce hard, low friction, wear resistance DLC layers. Using a dual cathode rotatable magnetron system, equipped with a magnetic guiding, gas bar to inject N, O and CO₂ toward the sample surface during the coating process, we investigate the effects and benefits of each species doping on the mechanical, tribological and hardness of sputter produced DLC coating.

The structure and composition of the coatings will be characterised by SEM. The sp³ fraction will be evaluated using Ramen scattering. Hardness and tribological properties of the coatings will be characterised using nano-indentation hardness tests, linearly reciprocating friction tests, and Mohs scratch methods.

https://doi.org/10.14332/svc23.proc.0050