A comparison of the properties of DC and RF sputter - deposited Cr films

Chromium (Cr) films were deposited on plain carbon steel sheets by DC and RF magnetron sputtering as well as by electroplating. Effects of DC or RF sputtering power on the deposition rate and properties such as, hardness, surface roughness and corrosion-resistance of the Cr films were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microcopy (SEM) analyses were performed to investigate the crystal structure, surface roughness, thickness of the Cr films. Salt fog tests were used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the samples. The deposition rate, hardness, and surface roughness of the Cr film deposited by either DC or RF sputtering increase with the increase of sputtering power but the adhesion strength is nearly independent of the sputtering power. The deposition rate, hardness, and adhesion strength of the Cr film deposited by DC sputtering are higher than those of the Cr film deposited by RF sputtering, but RF sputtering offers smoother surface and higher corrosion-resistance. The sputter-deposited Cr film is harder and has a smoother surface than the electroplated one. The sputter-deposited Cr film also has higher corrosion-resistance than the electroplated one, which may be attributed to the smoother surface of the sputter-deposited film.