Abstract
Bulk austenitic stainless steels (SS) have a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure. However, sputter deposited films synthesized using austenitic stainless steel targets usually exhibit body-centered cubic (bcc) structure or a mixture of fcc and bcc phases. This paper presents studies on the effect of processing parameters on the phase stability of 304 and 330 SS thin films. The 304 SS thin films with in-plane, biaxial residual stresses in the range of approximately 1 GPa (tensile) to approximately 300 MPa (compressive) exhibited only bcc structure. The retention of bcc 304 SS after high-temperature annealing followed by slow furnace cooling indicates depletion of Ni in as-sputtered 304 SS films. The 330 SS films sputtered at room temperature possess pure fcc phase. The Ni content and the substrate temperature during deposition are crucial factors in determining the phase stability in sputter deposited austenitic SS films.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S.D. Dahlgren: Equilibrium phases in 304L stainless steel obtained by sputter-deposition. Metall. Trans. 1, 3095 (1970).
M.J. Godbole, A.J. Pedraza, L.F. Allard, and G. Geesey: Characterization of sputter-deposited 316L stainless steel films. J. Mater. Sci. 27, 5585 (1992).
S. Malavasi, A. Oueldennaoua, M. Foos, and C. Frantz: Meta-stable amorphous and crystalline phase in physical vapor deposited Fe-(Cr)-Ni-(C) deposits. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A5, 1888 (1987).
J. Childress, S.H. Liou, and C.L. Chien: Ferromagnetism in meta-stable 304 stainless steel with bcc structure. J. Appl. Phys. 64, 6059 (1988).
J.P. Eymery and R. Krishnan: On some magnetic properties of 304 stainless steel films. J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 104–107, 1785 (1992).
T.F. Kelly, M. Cohen, and J.B. Vander Sande: Rapid solidification of a droplet-processed stainless steel. Metall. Trans. A15, 819 (1984).
R.P. Reed, “Martensitic Phase Transformation,” in Materials at Low Temperatures, edited by R.P. Reed and A.F. Clark (American Society for Metals, Carnes Publication Services, Metals Park, OH, 1983), p. 299.
E.S. Machlin, in Materials Science in Microelectronics (Giro Press, Croton-on-Hudson, New York, 1995), p. 157.
M.J. Godbole, A.J. Pedraza, J.W. Park, and G. Geesey: The crystal structures of stainless steel films sputter-deposited on austenitic stainless steel substrates. Scripta Metall. Mater. 28, 1201 (1993).
X. Zhang, A. Misra, H. Wang, T.D. Shen, J.G. Swadener, J.D. Embury, H. Kung, R.G Hoagland, and M. Nastasi: Strengthening mechanisms in nanostructured copper/304 stainless steel multilayers. J. Mater. Res. 18, 1600 (2003).
GG. Stoney: Proc. R. Soc. London A82, 172 (1909).
L.R. Doolittle: Algorithms for the rapid simulation of Rutherford backscattering spectra. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Physics Research B9, 344 (1985).
L.R. Doolittle: A semiautomatic algorithm for Rutherford back-scattering analysis. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Physics Research B15, 227 (1986).
X. Zhang, A. Misra, H. Wang, T.D. Shen, M. Nastasi, T.E. Mitchell, J.P. Hirth, R.G. Hoagland, and J.D. Embury: Enhanced hardening in Cu/330 stainless steel multilayers by nanoscale twinning. Acta Mater 52, 995 (2004).
X. Zhang, A. Misra, H. Wang, M. Nastasi, J.D. Embury, T.E. Mitchell, R.G. Hoagland, and J.P. Hirth: Nanoscale-twinning-induced strengthening in austenitic stainless steel thin films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 1096 (2004).
S.L. Duan, J.O. Artman, B. Wong, and D.E. Laughlin: Study of the growth characteristics of sputtered Cr thin films. J. Appl. Phys. 67, 4913 (1990).
B. Okolo, P. Lamparter, U. Welzel, and E.J. Mittemeijer: Stress, texture, and microstructure in niobium thin films sputter deposited onto amorphous substrates. 95, 466 (2004).
N. Schell, J.H. Petersen, J. Bøttiger, A. Mucklich, J. Chevallier, K.P. Andreasen, and F. Eichhorn: On the development of texture during growth of magnetron-sputtered CrN. Thin Solid Films 426, 100 (2003).
U.C. Oh, J.H. Je, and J.Y. Lee: Change of the critical thickness in the preferred orientation of TiN films. J. Mater. Res. 10, 634 (1995).
J. Pelleg, L.Z. Zevin, S. Lungo, and N. Croitoru: Reactive-sputter-deposited TiN films on glass substrates. Thin Solid Films 197, 117 (1991).
C.V. Thompson: Texture evolution during grain growth in poly-crystalline films. Scripta Metall. Mater. 28, 167 (1993).
F. Adibi, I. Petrov, J.E. Greene, L. Hultman, and J-E. Sundgren: Effects of high-flux low-energy (20–100 eV) ion irradiation during deposition on the microstructure and preferred orientation of Ti0 5Al0 5N alloys grown by ultra-high-vacuum reactive magnetron sputtering. J.Appl. Phys 73, 8580 (1993).
N. Schell, W. Matz, J. Bøttiger, J. Chevallier, and P. Kringhøj: Development of texture in TiN films by use of in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering. J Appl. Phys. 91, 2037 (20()2).
Alloy Phase Diagram: ASM Handbook (1990), Vol. 3, edited by ASM International Handbook Committee (ASM International, Materials Park, OH).
P.J. Grundy and J.M. Marsh: Amorphous thin films of stainless steel. J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 13, 677 (1978).
J.P. Eymery, N. Merakeb, Ph. Goudeau, A. Fnidiki, and B. Bouzabata: A Mossbauer comparative study of the local environment in metastable 304 stainless steel films depending on the preparation mode. J Magn. Magn. Mater 256, 227 (2003).
S. Sarkar, C. Bansal, and A. Chatterjee: Gibbs-Thomson effect in nanocrystalline Fe-Ge. Phs.Rev.B. 62, 3218 (2000).
O-H. Kwon, S-H. Ahn, J-G. Kim, and J-G. Han: An optimized condition for corrosion protection of type 316L films prepared by unbalanced magnetron sputtering in 3.5% NaCl solution. J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 21, 41 (2002).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, X., Misra, A., Schulze, R.K. et al. Critical factors that determine face-centered cubic to body-centered cubic phase transformation in sputter-deposited austenitic stainless steel films. Journal of Materials Research 19, 1696–1702 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2004.0215
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2004.0215