GAGO , Raúl

We examine here the depth resolution (interface width) in elemental analysis and depth profiling of complex layer systems of three ion-probing techniques, each of which has pros and cons: • Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS); • secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS); and, • glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). RBS is...

An increasing amount of effort is currently being directed towards the development of new functionalized nanostructured materials (i.e., multilayers and nanocomposites). Using an appropriate combination of composition and microstructure, it is possible to optimize and tailor the final properties of the material to its final application. The...

Quantitative GDOES studies in protective coating materials (oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides, etc.) are severely limited by the lack of certified standards containing known amounts of oxygen and/or nitrogen. In this work, we propose an alternative method for nitrogen quantification using as calibration samples, a series of deposited nitride...

In this study, we have successfully used the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique at the Ti-K edge to extract the local structure in a set of nanocomposite TiBC/a-C coatings deposited by a combined d.c.-pulsed and r.f.-magnetron sputtering deposition process. The sequence of Fourier transform spectra in the deposited films...

In this work, we address the capability of glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) for fast and accurate depth profiling of multilayer nitride coatings down to the nanometer range. This is shown by resolving the particular case of CrN/AlN structures with individual thickness ranging from hundreds to few nanometers. In order to...

Protective nanocomposite coatings based on hard ceramic phases (TiC, TiB2) combined with amorphous carbon (a-C) are of interest because of their adequate balance between mechanical and tribological performances. In this work, Ti–B–C nanocomposite coatings were prepared by co-sputtering of graphite and TiB2 targets. Varying the discharge power...

The influence of one dimensional substrate patterns on the nanocolumnar growth of thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering at oblique angles is theoretically and experimentally studied. A well‐established growth model has been used to study the interplay between the substrate topography and the thin film morphology. A critical thickness has...