Corrosion of gold thin films deposited by sputtering deposition method

Abstract EN

Gold thin films have been prepared and deposited by sputtering deposition system at 17 nm and 34nm thickness on Ni-Cr-Mo alloy substrate.

SEM, AFM, XRD, and Spectroscopic Reflectometer were used to characterize the thin films deposited.

Electrochemical corrosion tests also have been carried out by measuring open circuit potential (E o.c.p), Tafel extrapolation and cyclic polarization methods in artificial saliva solution at 37 0C with elements analysis of the corrosion solution by using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS).

The results obtained indicate the ability to deposit gold thin films (17nm and 34 nm ) by sputtering deposition method on Ni-Cr-Mo alloy with uniformity and without defects, decrease the roughness from 2.54 nm to 1.8 nm for gold nanocoated with 34nm and 17 nm respectively, FCC crystalline structure (111) with diffraction peaks results from XRD, and improvement of the localized corrosion resistance by decreasing the hysteresis loop of nanocoated with 34 nm of gold compared with the uncoated alloy