Comparative Study On The Bonding Structure Of Hydrogenated And Hydrogen Free Carbon Nitride Films With High N Content

Hydrogenated and hydrogen free carbon nitride were grown by the ion beam assisted sputtering method using different precursors. Two sets of films were deposited by sputtering a graphite target and by assisting the growing film with nitrogen ions in a hydrogen free and a hydrogen atmosphere. The third set was grown by sputtering an azaadenine (C 4N 6H 4) target with argon or nitrogen ions. The bonding structure of the films was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Film properties were examined by UV-vis spectroscopy and plasmon energy (density) measurements. The experimental results indicate a pronounced change in structure for increasing nitrogen concentration up to 36 at%. Above 20 at% N, the intensity of the deconvoluted spectral features attributed to aromatic structures suffers a strong decrease. This effect is further enhanced by the presence of hydrogen in the films. The analysis of CN(x):H films obtained from the azaadenine precursor indicates that these films consist predominantly of aliphatic CN structures and terminating >C = N-H, -C≡N groups. These results are consistent with the increasing activity of the nitrogen lone-pair feature in the UPS spectra, the intensity decrease of the aromatic CN vibrations in the IR spectra, the recession of the valence band leading edge, the increase of the optical band gap and the reduction of the film density. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.Hydrogenated and hydrogen free carbon nitride were grown by the ion beam assisted sputtering method using different precursors. Two sets of films were deposited by sputtering a graphite target and by assisting the growing film with nitrogen ions in a hydrogen free and a hydrogen atmosphere. The third set was grown by sputtering an azaadenine (C 4N 6H 4) target with argon or nitrogen ions. The bonding structure of the films was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Film properties were examined by UV-vis spectroscopy and plasmon energy (density) measurements. The experimental results indicate a pronounced change in structure for increasing nitrogen concentration up to 36 at%. Above 20 at% N, the intensity of the deconvoluted spectral features attributed to aromatic structures suffers a strong decrease. This effect is further enhanced by the presence of hydrogen in the films. The analysis of CN x:H films obtained from the azaadenine precursor indicates that these films consist predominantly of aliphatic CN structures and terminating >C double bond N-H, -C triple bond N groups. These results are consistent with the increasing activity of the nitrogen lone-pair feature in the UPS spectra, the intensity decrease of the aromatic CN vibrations in the IR spectra, the recession of the valence band leading edge, the increase of the optical band gap and the reduction of the film density.903/06/15577581Sjöström, H., Stafström, S., Boman, M., Sundgren, J.E., (1995) Phys. Rev. B, 75, p. 1336Hammer, P., Victoria, N.M., Alvarez, F., (2000) J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, , submittedSouto, S., Alvarez, F., (1997) Appl. Phys. Lett., 70, p. 1539Hammer, P., Victoria, N.M., Alvarez, F., (1998) J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 16, p. 2491Siegbahn, K., (1967) ESCA: Atomic, Molecular and Solid State Structure Studied by Means of Electron Spectroscopy, 20. , Almquist and Wiksells Boktryckeri AB, UppsalaSouto, S., Pickholz, M., Dos Santos, M.C., Alvarez, F., (1998) Phys. Rev. B, 57, p. 2436Beamson, G., Briggs, D., (1992) High Resolution XPS of Organic Polymers, p. 182. , Wiley, ChichesterHammer, P., Gissler, W., (1996) Diamond Relat. Mater., 5, p. 1152Dolphin, D., Wick, A., (1977) Tabulation of Infrared Spectral Data, , Wiley, New YorkVictoria, N.M., Hammer, P., Dos Santos, M.C., Alvarez, F., (2000) Phys. Rev. B, 61, p. 1083Alvarez, F., Victoria, N.M., Hammer, P., Freire Jr., F.L., Dos Santos, M.C., (1998) Appl. Phys. Lett., 73, p. 106

Incorporation Of Nitrogen In Carbon Nanotubes

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes were obtained by the arc-discharge technique in a helium-nitrogen atmosphere and using iron-nickel-cobalt catalysts, The samples were analyzed using spectroscopic techniques (Raman, EELS, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Pure helium atmosphere conditions led to bundles of single-wall nanotubes with diameters of ∼1.5 nm. The presence of nitrogen during tube formation produced irregular and thickly textured tubes. TEM micrographs showed that N suppresses the formation of bundles of single-wall nanotubes, giving rise to nested nanofibers. Quantum-chemical calculations were carried out to study the influence of substitutional N on the tube conformation. The calculations show that the combination of hexagons and pentagons at low N concentration produces kinks that account for the irregular shaped nanotubes. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.299-302PART 2874879Stephan, O., (1994) Science, 266, p. 1683Yudasaka, M., Kikuchi, R., Ohki, Y., Yoshimura, S., (1997) Carbon, 35, p. 195Terrones, M., (1998) Chem. Phys. Lett., 285, p. 299Sen, R., Satishkumar, B.C., Govindaraj, A., Harikumar, K.R., Raina, G., Zhang, J.-P., Cheetham, A.K., Rao, C.N.R., (1998) Chem. Phys. Lett., 287, p. 671Belz, T., (1997) Ber. Bunsenges. Phys. Chem., 101, p. 712Iijima, S., (1991) Nature, 354, p. 56Dos Santos, M.C., Alvarez, F., (1998) Phys. Rev. B, 58, p. 13918Stewart, J.J.P., (1989) J. Comp. Chem., 10, p. 209Schmidt, M.W., (1993) J. Comp. Chem., 14, p. 1347Shirley, D.A., (1972) Phys. Rev. B, 5, p. 4709Hammer, P., Victoria, N.M., Alvarez, F., (2000) J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 18, p. 2277Robertson, J., (1991) Prog. Solid State Chem., 21, p. 199Bazhenov, A.V., (1998) JETP (Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz.), 86, p. 1030Egerton, R.F., (1989) Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy in the Electron Microscope, , Plenum, New YorkHammer, P., Lacerda, R.G., Valente, G.M.S., Droppa R., Jr., Dos Santos, M.C., Alvarez, F., (2001) J. Appl. Phys., 89, p. 7852Souto, S., Pickholz, M., Dos Santos, M.C., Alvarez, F., (1998) Phys. Rev. B, 57, p. 2536Suenaga, K., (1999) Chem. Phys. Lett., 300, p. 695Davis, C.A., McKenzie, D.R., Yin, Y., Kravtchinskaia, E., Amaratunga, G.A.J., Veerasamy, V.S., (1994) Philos. Mag. B, 69, p. 1133Bacsa, W.S., De Heer, W.A., Ugarte, D., Châtelain, A., (1993) Chem. Phys. Lett., 211, p. 346Rao, A.M., (1997) Science, 275, p. 187Dresselhaus, M.S., Eklund, P.C., (2000) Adv. Phys., 49, p. 705Selvan, R., Unnikrishnan, R., Ganapathy, S., Pradeep, T., (2000) Chem. Phys. Lett., 316, p. 205Bacsa, W.S., Ugarte, D., Châtelain, A., De Heer, W.A., (1994) Phys. Rev. B, 50, p. 1547

Self-organized nickel nanoparticles on nanostructured silicon substrate intermediated by a titanium oxynitride (TiNxOy) interface

In this work we report an experimental approach by combining in situ sequential top-down and bottom-up processes to induce the organization of nanosized nickel particles. The top-down process consists in xenon ion bombardment of a crystalline silicon substrate to generate a pattern, followed by depositing a ∼15 nm titanium oxynitride thin film to act as a metallic diffusion barrier. Then, metallic nanoparticles are deposited by argon ion sputtering a pure nickel target, and the sample is annealed to promote the organization of the nickel nanoparticles (a bottom-up process). According to the experimental results, the surface pattern and the substrate biaxial surface strain are the driving forces behind the alignment and organization of the nickel nanoparticles. Moreover, the ratio between the F of metallic atoms arriving at the substrate relative to its surface diffusion mobility determines the nucleation regime of the nickel nanoparticles. These features are presented and discussed considering the existing technical literature on the subject

A Comprehensive Nitriding Study By Low Energy Ion Beam Implantation On Stainless Steel

In this paper we report nitriding studies of stainless steel 316 using a broad ion beam source. Experiments performed by changing the ion energy (0.2-1.5 KeV), ion current density (1.4-5.7 mA/cm2) and implantation times (1 and 8 h) at a temperature around 380°C are reported. The microstructure and morphology are studied by glancing angle X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. For constant ion energy, higher nitrogen ion flux increases the hardness. At higher ion energies the sputtering process prevents the formation of a thick-nitrated layer, even for longer implantation times. The results are examined in the light of recent studies on physical models for ion implantation. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.146-147405409Deutchman, A.H., Partyka, R.J., Lewis, C., (1989) Conference Proceedings of the ASM, p. 29. , OhioBlawert, C., Weisheit, A., Mordike, B.L., Knoop, F.M., (1996) Surf. Coatings Technol, 85, p. 15Wei, R., (1996) Surf. Coatings Technol, 83, p. 216Wei, R., Vajo, J.J., Matossian, J.N., Wilbur, P.J., Davis, J.A., Williamson, D.L., Collins, G.A., (1996) Surf. Coatings Technol, 83, p. 235Leigh, S., Samandi, M., Collins, G.A., Short, K.T., Martin, P., Wielunsky, L., (1996) Surf. Coatings Technol, 85, p. 37Wilbur, P.J., Davis, J.A., Wei, R., Vajo, J.J., Williamson, D.L., (1996) Surf. Coatings Technol, 83, p. 250Bull, S.J., Jones, A.M., McCabe, A.R., (1996) Surf. Coatings Technol, 83, p. 257Kaufman, H.R.J., (1978) Vac. Sci. Technol, 15, p. 272Hammer, P., Victoria, N.M., Alvarez, F., (1998) J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 16, p. 2491Oliver, W.C., Pharr, G.M., (1992) J. Mater. Res, 7, p. 1564Berg, M., Budtz-Jørgensen, C.V., Reitz, H., Schweitz, K.O., Chevallier, J., Kringhøj, P., Bøttiger, J., (2000) Surf. Coatings Technol, 124, p. 25Öztürk, O., Willianson, D.L., (1995) J. Appl. Phys, 77 (8), p. 3839Möller, W., Parascandola, S., Kruse, O., Günzel, R., Richter, E., (1999) Surf. Coatings Technol, 116-119, p. 1Kukareko, V.A., Byeli, A.V., (2000) Surf. Coatings Technol, 127, p. 174Parascandola, S., Möller, W., (2000) Appl. Phys. Lett, 76 (16), p. 2194Biersack, J.P.B., Haggmark, G.L., The simulation used the TRIM software (1980) Nucl. Instrum. Methods, 174, p. 25

Self-organized nickel nanoparticles on nanostructured silicon substrate intermediated by a titanium oxynitride (TiNxOy) interface

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPERG - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO GRANDE DO SULIn this work we report an experimental approach by combining in situ sequential top-down and bottom-up processes to induce the organization of nanosized nickel particles. The top-down process consists in xenon ion bombardment of a crystalline silicon substrate to generate a pattern, followed by depositing a similar to 15 nm titanium oxynitride thin film to act as a metallic diffusion barrier. Then, metallic nanoparticles are deposited by argon ion sputtering a pure nickel target, and the sample is annealed to promote the organization of the nickel nanoparticles (a bottom-up process). According to the experimental results, the surface pattern and the substrate biaxial surface strain are the driving forces behind the alignment and organization of the nickel nanoparticles. Moreover, the ratio between the F of metallic atoms arriving at the substrate relative to its surface diffusion mobility determines the nucleation regime of the nickel nanoparticles. These features are presented and discussed considering the existing technical literature on the subject.81116FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPERG - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO GRANDE DO SULFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPERG - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL2012/10127-5sem informaçãosem informaçã

Effect of ion peening and pulsed plasma nitriding on the structural properties of TiN coatings sputtered onto 100Cr6 steel

Ion peening with noble gas is typically used to generate lattice imperfections and a nanostructure within the bombarded metal surfaces. This might have therefore an impact on subsequent plasma nitriding, thus allowing for enhancing the adhesion and wear resistance of hard ceramic coatings deposited onto steel surfaces. In this work, the influence of pre-treating a 100Cr6 steel surface by Xe+ ion bombardment and pulsed plasma nitriding was investigated with respect to surface roughness, wear resistance and residual stresses of thin TiN coatings deposited by reactive ion beam assisted deposition.Xe+ ion bombardment was carried out using a 400 eV acceleration energy produced by a broad Kaufman cell and subsequent thermo-chemical nitrogen diffusion was accomplished at 520 degrees C. The results show that Xe+ ion bombardment intensifies nitrogen diffusion without inducing significant changes in the substrate topography. The combined pre-treatment with Xe+ ion bombardment and subsequent pulsed plasma nitriding leads to a reduction of compressive stresses in the TiN coatings. The presence of porosity in the white layer diminished the wear resistance235CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPES870346/1997-01277513-4; 88881.143948/2017-01SV is grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), project 870346/1997-0, and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), project 1277513-4, for granting the scholarships for acting in this research. AR acknowledges the Feodor Lynen Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt foundation. HP is CNPq fellow. HP and FS thank the funding provided by CAPES (PROBRAL project 88881.143948/2017–01). The authors HP, FS and JG acknowledge the financial support of the NanoCom Network (Proposal FP7 no 247524) and the CREATe-Network project (H2020-MSCA-RISE/644013), both funded by the European Union. Wagner Correr is acknowledged for the assistance during the SEM, AFM and nanohardness measurement

Influence Of Xe Ion-bombardment On The Substrate Microstructure And The Residual Stresses Of Tin Coatings Deposited By Plasma Reactive Sputtering Onto Aisi 4140 Steel

The seek for sustainability in the global economic scenario has led to the need for developing materials that provide higher productivity, greater speed of operation, extended lifetimes and enhanced surface finishing of engineering parts. To achieve these goals it is essential to modify the metal surface with respect to its behavior in situations of friction, wear and oxidation at high temperatures. In this work, we studied the impact of different surface treatment strategies involving atomic peening with Xe ions and low temperature plasma nitriding on the surface microstructure of AISI 4140steel and the consequences of those surface treatments on the residual stresses of TiN coatings deposited onto the pre-treated substrates. The results show that ion bombardment at 1000 eV leads to mainly sputtering of surface material and no appreciable surface activation could be obtained for the subsequent plasma nitriding treatment. In the sample subjected to simple plasma nitriding, the highest nitride content was found and a Ti-enriched transition zone deposition is expected to build up during the coating deposition. Accordingly the residual stresses of the TiN coatings deposited onto the nitrided steel surface were significantly lower in comparison to those encountered in the coatings grown on the non-treated, only bombarded and bombarded followed by nitriding substrates. © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.996841847Conseil General de l'Aube',Conseil National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS),et al,Grand Troyes,Proto Manufacturing,Region Champagne-ArdenneMa, C.-H., Huang, J.-H., Chen, H., Texture evolution of transition-metal nitride thin films by ion beam assisted deposition (2004) Thin Solid Films, 446, pp. 184-193Mottu, N., Vayer, M., Erre, R., Xe and Mo implantation on austenitic stainless steel: Structural modification (2004) Surface and Coatings Technology, 183, pp. 165-173Basso, R.L., Candal, R.J., Figueroa, C.A., Wisnivesky, D., Alvarez, F., Influence of microstructure on the corrosion behavior of nitrocarburized AISI H13 tool steel obtained by pulsed DC plasma (2009) Surface & Coatings Technology, 203, pp. 1293-1297Ochoa, E.A., Figueroa, C.A., Czerwiec, T., Alvarez, F., Enhanced nitrogen diffusion induced by atomic attrition (2006) Applied Physics Letters, 88, p. 254109Ochoa, E.A., Figueroa, C.A., Alvarez, F., Nitriding of AISI 4140 steel by a low energy broad ion source (2006) Journal of Vacuum Science Technology A, 24 (6), pp. 2113-2116. , Nov/DezKrauss, G., (1994) Steels: Heat Treatment and Processing Principles, , 1a. ed. Ohio: ASM InternationalRamos, S.M.M., Amaral, L., Behar, M., Marest, G., Vasquez, A., Zawislak, F.C., The effects of xenon bombardment on the dissolution and reprecipitation of carbonitrides produced in nitrogen-implanted low carbon steel (1991) Surface and Coatings Technology, 45, pp. 255-262Gammer, K., Stoiber, M., Wagner, J., Hutter, H., Kullmer, R., Mitterer, C., Investigations on the effects of plasma-assisted pre-treatment for plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition TiN coatings on tool steel (2004) Thin Solid Films, 461, pp. 277-281Shengli, M.Y.L.K.X., The composite of nitrided steel of H13 and TiN coatings by plasma duplex treatment and the effect of pre-nitriding (2001) Surface and Coatings Technology, 137, pp. 116-121Ma, C.H., Huang, J.-H., Chen, H., Residual Stress Measurement in Textured Thin Film by Grazing-Incidence X-Ray Diffraction (2002) Thin Solid Films, 73, p. 418Eigenmann, B., Macherauch, E., Rontgenographische Untersuchung von Spannungszustanden in Werkstoffen (1995) Mat.-wiss. U. Werkstofftech, 26, pp. 199-216Droppa Jr., R., Pinto, H.C., Garcia, J., Ochoa, E.A., Morales, M., Cucatti, S., Alvarez, F., Influence of ion-beam bombardment on the physical properties of 100Cr6 steel (2014) Materials Chemistry and Physics, , in pressAkbari, A., Riviere, J.P., Templier, C., Le Bourhis, E., Abadias, G., Hardness and residual stresses in TiN-Ni nanocomposite coatings deposited by reactive dual ion beam sputtering (2007) Reviews On Advanced Materials Science, 15, pp. 111-117Davis, C.A., A simple model for the formation of compressive stress in thin films by ion bombardment (1993) Thin Solid Film, 226, pp. 30-34Birkholz, M., (2006) Thin Film Analysis By X-Ray Scattering, , WILEY-VCH, ISBN:3-527-31052-5Totten, G., Howes, M., Inoue, T., Stress determination in coatings. In: Handbook of Residual Stress and Deformation of Steels (2002) ASTM International, pp. 118-124. , ISBN DOI: 10.1361/hrsd2002p118Polok-Rubiniec, M., Lukaszkowicz, K., Dobrzański, L.A., Comparison of nanostructure and duplex PVD coatings deposited onto hot work tool steel substrate (2010) J. of Achievements In Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, 41 (1-2), pp. 187-194Totten, G.E., Liang, H., Surface Modification and Mechanisms: Friction (2004) Stress, and Reaction Engineering, , Marcel Dekker, Inc., ISBN: 0-8247-4872-

Synchrotron X-ray diffraction characterization of healthy and fluorotic human dental enamel

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)With the introduction of fluoride as the main anticaries agent used in preventive dentistry, and perhaps an increase in fluoride in our food chain, dental fluorosis has become an increasing world-wide problem. Visible signs of fluorosis begin to become obvious on the enamel surface as opacities, implying some porosity in the tissue. The mechanisms that conduct the formation of fluorotic enamel are unknown, but should involve modifications in the basic physical-chemistry reactions of demineralization and remineralisation of the enamel of the teeth, which is the same reaction of formation of the enamel's hydroxyapatite (HAp) in the maturation phase. The increase of the amount of fluoride inside of the apatite will result in gradual increase of the lattice parameters. The aim of this work is to characterize the healthy and fluorotic enamel in human tooth using Synchrotron X-ray diffraction. All the scattering profile measurements were carried out at the X-ray diffraction beamline (XRD1) at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory-LNLS, Campinas, Brazil. X-ray diffraction experiments were performed both in powder samples and polished surfaces. The powder samples were analyzed to obtain the characterization of a typical healthy enamel pattern. The polished surfaces were analyzed in specific areas that have been identified as fluorotic ones. X-ray diffraction data were obtained for all samples and these data were compared with the control samples and also with the literature data. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.811015781585Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)FAPERJ (Research Support Foundation of the State of Rio de Janeiro)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Influence of substrate pre-treatments by Xe+ ion bombardment and plasma nitriding on the behavior of TiN coatings deposited by plasma reactive sputtering on 100Cr6 steel

CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOIn this paper the influence of pre-treating a 100Cr6 steel surface by Xe+ ion bombardment and plasma nitriding at low temperature (380 degrees C) on the roughness, wear resistance and residual stresses of thin TiN coatings deposited by reactive IBAD was investigated. The Xe+ ion bombardment was carried out using a 1.0 keV kinetic energy by a broad ion beam assistance deposition (IBAD, Kaufman cell). The results showed that in the studied experimental conditions the ion bombardment intensifies nitrogen diffusion by creating lattice imperfections, stress, and increasing roughness. In case of the combined pre-treatment with Xe+ ion bombardment and subsequent plasma nitriding, the samples evolved relatively high average roughness and the wear volume increased in comparison to the substrates exposed to only nitriding or ion bombardment. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.In this paper the influence of pre-treating a 100Cr6 steel surface by Xe+ ion bombardment and plasma nitriding at low temperature (380 degrees C) on the roughness, wear resistance and residual stresses of thin TiN coatings deposited by reactive IBAD was investigated. The Xe+ ion bombardment was carried out using a 1.0 keV kinetic energy by a broad ion beam assistance deposition (IBAD, Kaufman cell). The results showed that in the studied experimental conditions the ion bombardment intensifies nitrogen diffusion by creating lattice imperfections, stress, and increasing roughness. In case of the combined pre-treatment with Xe+ ion bombardment and subsequent plasma nitriding, the samples evolved relatively high average roughness and the wear volume increased in comparison to the substrates exposed to only nitriding or ion bombardment.177156163CNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOSem informaçãoSem informação2010/11391-2, 2012/10127-5The authors HP and JG acknowledge the financial support of the NanoCom Network (Proposal FP7 n° 247524) and the CREATe-Network project (H2020-MSCA-RISE/644013), both funded by the European Union. SV is grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Comissão de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal do Nível Superior (CAPES) for granting the scholarship for acting in this research. FA and HP are CNPq fellows. Part of this work was supported by FAPESP, projects 2010/11391-2 and 2012/10127-5. The Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano) is greatly acknowledged for support during the TEM analyses