Characterization of Atomic Layer Deposited Films as Diffusion Barriers for Silver Art Objects

摘要

In this article we report on the characterization of atomic layer deposited (ALD) films on silver alloy objects, both with regard to film porosity, which potentially limits their effectiveness as tarnish barriers, and with regard to color change upon deposition, which affects their visual appearance. We find that the porosity of ALD alumina films decreases with thickness, and shows no clear dependence on surface preparation, nor on multiple ALD oxide layering. We also find that the optimized structures for minimizing color change are sensitive to the composition of the alloy, and must be tuned accordingly.