Influence of Process Conditions on the Growth and Texture of CVD Alpha-Alumina

Abstract

In the present study, the influence of experimental variables on the growth characteristics and texture development in chemically vapour deposited α-Al2O3 coatings was investigated. The emphasis was on the effects of H2S. The α-Al2O3 layers were deposited from the AlCl3-H2-CO2-HCl-H2S precursor system onto intermediate Ti(C,N) layers. The substrate was cemented carbide. The coatings were characterized with respect to microstructure and texture using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electron back-scattering diffraction. The observations were unpredictable, suggesting that in addition to the growth rate, H2S strongly affected the texture of the α-Al2O3 coatings. The uncatalyzed α-Al2O3 coatings (H2S = 0) developed (11 2 ¯ 0) texture. With the increment of H2S concentration the texture changed from (11 2 ¯ 0) texture through (10 1 ¯ 0), (10 1 ¯ 2) and (10 1 ¯ 4) textures to (0001) texture. Growth regimes for (11 2 ¯ 0), (10 1 ¯ 0), (10 1 ¯ 2), (10 1 ¯ 4) and (0001) textures were depicted as a function of the H2S/CO2 ratio. Examples of grain-boundary and microstructural manipulation of CVD α-Al2O3 layers by applying texture control were presented.