In this work, we grow thin films on copper for enhanced corrosion resistance using atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD is a vapor phase chemical deposition method capable of growing conformal thin films with precise thickness control and no line-of-sight requirement, making it ideal for coating tube interiors and components with intricate geometries9.
The films tested here are Al2O3, TiO2, and nanolaminate combinations of these two. The excellent sealing properties of ALD Al2O3 complements the high chemical and environmental stability of TiO2. Total film thickness of single layer and nanolaminate films is approximately 50nm. Corrosion resistance is quantified through potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 0.1M NaCl.
Results show an increase in corrosion resistance for both single layer coatings and nanolaminate films over the bare copper. As expected, the charge transfer resistance of copper coated with a single layer Al2O3 film decreases by an order of magnitude over 72 hours, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirms Al and O depletion in the region exposed to electrolyte. Nanolaminate films exhibited as low as a 10% reduction in charge transfer resistance over that same period. Imaging reveals decreased coating degradation of nanolaminate film stacks compared to single layer films after exposure to saline solution over a 3-day period.
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