Surface structure of nitrogen ion-implanted 304 stainless steel - Nishimura, O.; Yabe, K.; Saito, K.; Yamashina, T.; Iwaki, M. (Elsevier)
Modification of the structure and the creation of nitrides in the surface layer of 304 stainless steel due to nitrogen ion implantation with doses of 1 x 10^1^7, 3 x 10^1^7 and 5 x 10^1^7 N cm^-^2 at an accelerating potential of 90 kV were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with argon ion sputter etching. In a thin surface layer of unimplanted steel there is a structure which consists of a chromium enriched oxide layer and an adjacent inner layer enriched by nickel. After the ion implantation, the double-layer surface structure remained, but chromium enrichment was enhanced and the thickness of the chromium-rich oxide layer increased with an increase in the implantation dose. This modification can be explained qualitatively by radiation-enhanced migration of metal atoms to the surface and their oxidation in a sub-surface reaction zone. The creation of Cr"2N and Fe"4N in the main area of nitrogen distribution and CrN in the chromium enriched layer near the surface was observed.
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0257-8972(94)90039-6
Keywords: ZL; U