First stages of surface steel nitriding: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrical measurements

• Published in: Applied surface science 2009-08, Vol.255 (22), p.9206-9210
• Main Authors: Flori, M., Gruzza, B., Bideux, L., Monier, G., Robert-Goumet, C., Benamara, Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 42CrMo4 steel; Condensed Matter; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Depth profiling; Electrical measurements; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Glow-discharge source (GDS); Materials Science; Micro and nanotechnologies; Microelectronics; Physics; Plasma nitriding; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2009.07.004

Quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques were employed to study the first stages of ultra-high vacuum plasma nitriding of the 42CrMo4 steel. At constant treatment temperature, maintained for all samples at about 360 °C, we have established the influence of treatment time on the chemical composition, thickness and electrical properties of the nitrided layer. In this purpose it was used a stacking atomic layer model describing the sample surface, which takes into account the attenuation depth of photoelectrons by the atomic monolayers. So, we have found that after 2 h of nitriding in laboratory conditions, 70% of the nitrided layer was composed of iron oxide. Also, I– V measurements indicate an influence of the nitride overlayer with increasing treatment time.