XPS and AES study of Al₂O₃/Ti6Al4V interface: Influence of oxidation and nitruration of the metal surface

Abstract

Important properties of the coating/substrate combination like hardness, stress and, in particular, adhesion rely partly on the morphology and microstructure of the interface, which is often physically and chemically different from the substrate as well as from the coating.The aim of this work is to study the influence of the chemical state of the metal surface on the structure of the interface AI2O,/Ti6A14V, obtained by deposition via sputtering of the ceramic.For this purpose three different surface treatments of the substrate were performed: air oxidation, cleaning by Ar+ sputtering and nitrogen ion implantation.The chemical composition of the treated surfaces was assessed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, while the composition of the interfaces was investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling.