Effect of oxygen flow rate on the deposition rate of α-Al₂O₃ coatings by anodic evaporation of Al in an arc discharge

Effect of O₂ flow rate on the kinetics of growth and properties of α-Al₂O₃ coatings deposited by reactive anodic Al evaporation at 640 °C has been studied. It has been shown that the growth rate of coatings changes non-monotonously with O₂ flow, rise of the growth rate is due to the increase in the concentration of atomic oxygen in plasma, and the decrease at large O₂ flows is associated with transition from the mode of free transit of Al atoms to the diffusion mode. (paper)