Variations in the microstructure of nickel‐based alloy coatings with the metalloids boron and silicon as a function of deposition parameters in a dual beam ion system

We have deposited coatings using a dual beam ion source system with two different targets as sputtering sources; (i) a predominantly amorphous Ni63.5Cr12.3Fe3.5Si7.9B12.8 foil and (ii) a crystalline Ni55.3Cr16.9Si7.2B21.6 slab from a casting. Amorphous coatings were produced by the foil for all conditions studied. The coatings that were deposited from the slab target that were less than 400 nm in thickness which were deposited at rates from 8–50 nm/min appeared to be amorphous. The thicker (>400 nm) coatings and the extremely low deposition rate (2 nm/min) coatings produced by the slab comprised both partially polycrystalline and amorphous material. All of the coatings studied exhibited inferior wear and erosion resistance properties compared to iron‐based amorphous metal coatings containing Ti, C, or N, which have been studied by other groups. However, the corrosion resistance to 4 N HCl is good, ranging from less than 0.01 to 0.22 mm/yr as a function of deposition rate, concurrent ion bombardment condit...