Optimizing Ni-N Thin Films: Effects of r.f. Power on Mechanical and Electrochemical Performance

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AudienciaPúblico en generales_ES
CoberturaMéxicoes_ES
Fecha de ingreso2026-09-15T00:30:01Z
Fecha de publicación2026-01-01
ResumenCorrosion of carbon steel components represents a major economic and safety challenge in industrial applications, motivating the development of protective thin film coatings with optimized deposition parameters. This study investigates the deposition of nickel nitride (Ni-N) thin films on AISI 1016 carbon steel and silicon (111) wafers by reactive radio-frequency (r.f.) magnetron sputtering at three power levels: 150, 175, and 200 W. Surface color, film thickness, roughness, crystal structure, mechanical properties, and electrochemical behavior were evaluated using optical microscopy, stylus profilometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nanoindentation, and potentiodynamic polarization combined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Increasing r.f.-power produced systematic surface color changes consistent with variations in film thickness, which ranged from approximately 25.0 to 50.7 nm. Higher deposition power promoted smoother surfaces, with average roughness (Ra) decreasing from 64.28 nm at 150 W to 20.62 nm at 200 W. XRD analysis revealed a monocrystalline Ni3N hexagonal close-packed (HCP) phase at 150 W, transitioning to a dual-phase Ni3N (HCP) and Ni4N face-centered cubic (FCC) microstructure at 175 and 200 W. The highest hardness (11.80 ± 3.34 GPa) was recorded at 150 W, accompanied by pop-in events attributed to dislocation nucleation in the HCP lattice. Electrochemical evaluation in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution demonstrated that films deposited at 150 and 175 W exhibited corrosion current densities and rates exceeding those of bare steel, confirming that these conditions accelerate rather than inhibit corrosion. Only the film deposited at 200 W achieved superior corrosion protection, with a corrosion current density and rate approximately 50% lower than bare steel, attributed to its denser microstructure and smoother surface morphology. These findings demonstrate that r.f. power is a critical parameter governing the properties of Ni-N thin films, and that careful optimization of deposition conditions is essential before recommending such coatings for industrial corrosion-protective applications.es_ES
Doihttps://doi.org/10.3390/solids7040036es_ES
URIhttps://riuat.uat.edu.mx/handle/123456789/1941
Idiomaeses_ES
EditorialMDPI AGes_ES
RelaciónSolidses_ES
URL relacionadohttps://doi.org/10.3390/solids7040036es_ES
DerechosAcceso abierto (Metadatos de producción científica)es_ES
Licenciahttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2es_ES
FuenteSolids
TítuloOptimizing Ni-N Thin Films: Effects of r.f. Power on Mechanical and Electrochemical Performancees_ES
TipoArtículoes_ES
ArbitradoHa sido Arbitradoes_ES
AutorGonzález-Hernández, Andrés
AutorRodríguez, Eugenio
AutorOnofre-Bustamante, Edgar
AutorAperador, Willian
AutorBarragán-Ramírez, Rodolfo
AutorFlores-Martínez, Martín
AutorGonzález-Hernández, Andréses_ES
AutorRodríguez, Eugenioes_ES
AutorOnofre-Bustamante, Edgares_ES
AutorAperador, Willianes_ES
AutorBarragán-Ramírez, Rodolfoes_ES
AutorFlores-Martínez, Martínes_ES
InstituciónUniversidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas
InstituciónUniversidad Autónoma de Tamaulipases_ES
Número4es_ES
Rango de páginas36es_ES
URL relacionadahttps://doi.org/10.3390/solids7040036
Tipo de artículoIndexado
Tipo de artículoIndexadoes_ES
Volumen7es_ES

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