Nano-structual changes in N+ ion implanted nickel thin films deposited on 316 and 304 type stainless steel as a function of substrate temperature

Ni thin films of 250 nm thickness were coated on 304 and 316 types stainless steels and post N+ ion implanted with 15 keV energy and a flux of 5 x 1017 N+cm-2 at 300 and 400 K substrate temperatures. The surface nano-structure of the samples were analysed using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Nano-structure and crystallography of the films showed the development of Ni3N(111) and Ni4N(111) orientation and a decrease in the grain size and surface roughness with increasing the substrate temperature, which can be due to the initial preferred sputtering of the grain boundaries.