Sputtered carbon as a corrosion barrier for x-ray detector windows
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602 (United States)
- Moxtek, Inc., 452 W 1260 N, Orem, Utah 84057 (United States)
Sputtered amorphous carbon thin films were explored as corrosion resistant coatings on aluminum thin films to be incorporated into x-ray detector windows. The requirements for this application include high corrosion resistance, low intrinsic stress, high strains at failure, and high x-ray transmission. Low temperature sputtering was used because of its compatibility with the rest of the window fabrication process. Corrosion resistance was tested by exposure of carbon coated and uncoated Al thin films to humidity. Substrate curvature and bulge testing measurements were used to determine intrinsic stress and ultimate strain at failure. The composition and bonding of the carbon films were further characterized by electron energy loss spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen elemental analyses. Samples had low compressive stress (down to.08 GPa), a high strain at failure (3%), and a low fraction of sp{sup 3} carbon–carbon bonds (less than 5%). The high breaking strain and excellent x-ray transmission of these sputtered carbon films indicate that they will work well as corrosion barriers in this application.
- OSTI ID:
- 22592840
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, Vol. 34, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2016 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0734-2101
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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