Characterization of Hastelloy thin films deposited by pulsed laser ablation

Hastelloy thin films have been deposited on carbon steel substrates at room temperature by pulsed laser ablation of bulk Hastelloy targets. Different numbers of laser pulses were used in order to obtain films of various thicknesses. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the surface morphology of the deposited films. Energy dispersion X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have shown that the laser ablation process was almost congruent, and the crystallographic structure was retained in the films. In order to relate the microstructure of the film surface with its corrosion behavior, electrochemical tests in aqueous CO2 environment, such as potentiodynamic curves and linear polarization resistance, were performed. The film characteristics and their dependence on deposition parameters are presented and discussed.