Surface and interface analysis of PVD Al-O-N and γ-Al2O3 diffusion barriers

The suitability of PVD films of γ-Al2O3 and of ternary Al-O-N as diffusion barriers between a nickel based superalloy CMSX-4 and NiCoCrAlY for a possible application in gas turbines was investigated. Therefore, an Al2O3 film and, alternatively, an Al-O-N film were deposited on CMSX-4 at 100 °C substrate temperature by means of reactive magnetron sputtering ion plating (MSIP). After characterization of composition and structure of the films by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD), a NiCoCrAlY coating was deposited onto the diffusion barriers and, for comparison, directly onto CMSX-4 by MSIP as well. The composites were annealed for 4 h at 1100 °C under inert atmosphere. Wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX) element mappings and line-scans of the cross-sectional cut served to evaluate the suitability of the films as diffusion barriers. After detachment of the coatings from the substrate, the phase stabilities of the two metastable phases γ-Al2O3 and Al-O-N were determined by means of grazing incidence XRD. Without a diffusion barrier, enhanced interdiffusion was observed. Analyses of the composite with the γ-Al2O3 interlayer revealed diffusion of Ti and Ta from the substrate into the NiCoCrAlY coating. No interdiffusion of Ni, Ti, Ta, and Cr could be detected in case of the ternary Al-O-N film. Whereas the ternary Al-O-N film remained in the as-deposited X-ray amorphous structure after annealing, a phase change from the γ to the α modification could be observed in case of the Al2O3 film, presumably responsible for its lower efficiency as a diffusion barrier.