Effects of bias voltage and gas pressure on orientation and microstructure of iridium coating by double glow plasma

Iridium coating was produced on various substrates using a double glow plasma. The effects of bias voltage and gas pressure on orientation and microstructure of the coating were studied. The orientation, microstructure and composition of the coating were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results showed that iridium coatings on various substrates all exhibited the preferred (220) orientation under the same deposition conditions. The microstructure of the coating was affected by bias voltage, gas pressure and substrate effects. The bias voltages had a significant impact on the crystal orientation of the coating. The increase of bias voltage resulted in high substrate temperature and large deposition rate. An increase in the coating thickness can affect the microstructure and orientation of the coating. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.