Negative effects of reactive sputtering in an industrial plasma nitriding

Plasma nitriding of a 3% Cr-Mo-V gear, a 310 SS PM slot, a 304 SS flat-disk, and an Inconel 718 fillet were performed to demonstrate the effects of reactive sputtering on case-depth uniformity. It was shown that the geometry of the sample in combination with the wrong processing pressure may have a negative influence on the distribution of the vapor-deposited phase, leading to the uneven concentration of a deposit from plasma on the nitrided surface. The presence of this deposit coincides with the disturbance of case-depth uniformity.