Development of protective metal coatings on aluminum by magnetron sputtering

Depositions of copper and titanium coatings on aluminum foils and polished aluminum plates for thier protection against corrosion in alkaline media were performed. The coatings were deposited in three different types of magnetron sputtering systems: a direct current (DC) magnetron discharge, a high current impulse magnetron discharge, and a DC magnetron discharge with melted cathode. Only aluminum foils coated with copper films obtained by combined ion-plasma technology, which included preliminarily sputtering of the aluminum surface with an ion beam, deposition of a dense interlayer in the DC magnetron discharge with ion assistance of initial stage of deposition, and deposition of additional layer in the magnetron discharge with melted cathode, were resistant against 30 wt % NaOH solution.