Corrosion Protection of Steel with Oxide Nanolaminates Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition

Atomic layer deposited (ALD) aluminum and tantalum oxide (Al 2 O 3 and Ta 2 O 5 ) and their nanolaminates were applied as corrosion protection coatings on AISI 52100 steel. The aim was to combine the good sealing properties of Al 2 O 3 with the chemical stability of Ta 2 O 5 and to optimize the coating architecture in order to obtain the best possible long-term durability. Coating composition and morphology were studied with time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS). Electrochemical properties were studied with vo…