Abstract
Nano-crystalline ZrO
2
/ZrSiO
4
composite films are deposited on Si by the irradiation of energetic oxygen ions by plasma focus operation. The XRD patterns confirm the development of different phases (ZrO
2
and ZrSiO
4
) which grow along various orientations and their peak intensities strongly depend on increasing focus shots and sample angular positions. The average crystallite size of the films deposited at 0° angular position is increased with increasing focus shots while it is decreased for the films deposited at 10° angular position. The dislocation density in ZrSiO
4
(2 0 4) plane is increased from 3.51 × 10
−5
to 8.67 × 10
−5
(nm)
−2
while it is decreased from 8.85 × 10
−5
to 0.011 × 10
−5
(nm)
−2
in m-ZrO
2
(1 2 3) plane when the samples are treated at 0° and 10° angular positions for five focus shots respectively. The FESEM analysis confirms the formation of rounded nano-particles, complicated network of nano-rods, formation of compact, uniform and smooth multi-layers. The EDS analysis confirms the presence of Si, Zr and O in the composite films deposited for different focus shots and sample angular positions. The maximum microhardness of the composite film deposited for 25 focus shots is found to be 10.56 ± 0.51 GPa which definitely will improve the life time of the coated material.