Effect of deposition parameters on characteristics and oxidation behavior of magnetron sputtered Cr coatings

Magnetron sputtered Cr coatings deposited with different temperature, bias voltage and pressure exhibit various characteristics. The results of 800 degrees C steam oxidation tests indicate that coatings with random orientation, good crystallinity and small grain size present favorable oxidation behavior. In contrast, coatings with strong (200) texture, which is a non-dense packing orientation, poor crystallinity and large grains have many intrinsic defects such as larger grain boundaries and more voids. These defects brought about incompact structure with throughout cracks or large pores during oxidation, which are detrimental to the protection property of the Cr coatings.