Aluminum surfaces exhibit significantly improved corrosion protection when they are coated with suitable semi-conductor/insulator thin films. These coatings, generally realized in Metal- Semiconductor (MS) or Metal-Insulator- Semiconductor (MIS) structural configurations, give rise to an interfacial electric field which acts as an effective built-in electronic barrier. This active barrier significantly impedes the transfer of electrons from the aluminum surface to foreign species which cause oxidation by accepting the electrons. Anodic polarization data on numerous samples fabricated in both MS [e.g. Al- Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)] and MIS [e.g. Al-SiO2–ITO] configurations have demonstrated the protective nature of the built-in active electronic barrier. The electronic barrier heights have been shown to increase with: (1) the presence of a thin (20-100Å) SiO2 layer at the metal-semiconductor interface; and (2) the energy gap of ITO which depends upon the indium content. A comparison of these results with data obtained on plasma- deposited Al-Si3N4 samples is also presented.

Subject
Films, Barriers, Substrates, Metal surfaces, Reactors, Aluminum, Purity, Metallic surfaces, Interfaces, Indium, Metals, Corrosion protection, Oxidation
© 1986 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1986
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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