A systematic review of the effects of deposition parameters on the properties of Inconel thin films

Inconel thin coatings exhibit outstanding oxidation and corrosion-resistant appropriate for application in severe environments that are prone to heat and pressure. They can form a stable and passivating oxide layer, which protects metal surfaces from been attacked. Inconel also retains their strength over a wide range of temperatures, and this makes them a material of choice for high-temperature applications ahead of steel and aluminum, which yield to creep more easily because creation of vacancies in their crystals are easily thermally provoked. Inconel thin coatings are majorly accomplished on substrates through chemical or physical processes at different deposition parameters and conditions. This study is centered more on Inconel thin coatings prepared by physical deposition techniques since published literature has already established that they have more exceptional characteristics compared to those of the chemical deposition techniques. The review, therefore, examines the characteristics of Inconel thin coatings and their intricate relations with process conditions and parameters such as rate of deposition, deposition time, the temperature of substrates, power, the temperature of deposition, the surface finish of substrates, and deposition pressure. The characteristics of the coatings are also affected by the properties of subtracts and subsequent treatment employed on them. Hence, the importance of optimizing the coating techniques was highlighted in this review, and research gaps in published works were further uncovered. The work can be an essential basis for selecting vital processing parameters in the physical deposition of Inconel thin coatings.