The Effect of Activated Nitrogen Species for Diffusion Rate during a Plasma Nitriding Process

Generally, plasma nitriding process has composed with a nitriding layer within glow discharge region occurred by energy exchange. The dissociations of nitrogen molecules are very difficult to make neutral atoms or ionic nitrogen species via glow discharge area. However, the captured electrons in which a double-folded screen with same potential cathode can stimulate and come out some single atoms or activated ionic species. It was showed an important thing that is called "hat is a dominant component in this nitriding process?" in plasma nitriding process and it can take an effective species for without compound layer. During a plasma nitriding process, it was able to estimate with analyzing and identification by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) study. And then we can make comparative studies on the nitrogen transfer with plasma nitriding and ATONA process using plasma diagnosis and metallurgical observation. From these observations, we can understand role of active species of nitrogen, like N, $N^+$, ${N_2}^+$, ${N_2}^*$ and $NH_x$-radical, in bulk plasma of each process. And the same time, during DC plasma nitriding and other processes, the species of FeN atom or any ionic nitride species were not detected by OES analyzing.

플라즈마질화에서 발생기 질소와 질화 속도에 관한 연구