High-Sensitivity Low-Energy Ion Spectroscopy with Sub-Nanometer Depth Resolution Reveals Oxidation Resistance of MoS2 Increases with Film Density and Shear-Induced Nanostructural Modifications of the Surface

For decades, density has been attributed as a critical aspect of the structure of sputter-deposited nanocrystalline molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) coatings impacting oxidation resistance and wear resistance. Despite its importance, there are few examples in the literature that explicitly investigate the relationship between the density and oxidation behaviors of MoS2 coatings. Aging and oxidation are primary considerations for the use of MoS2 coatings in aerospace applications as they inevitably experience prolonged storage in water and oxygen-rich environments prior to use. Oxidation that is either limited to the first few nanometers or through the bulk of the coating can result in seizure due to high initial coefficients of friction or component failure from excessive wear. High-sensitivity low-energy ion spectroscopy (HS-LEIS) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) are both used to understand the extent of oxidation throughout the first similar to 10 nanometers of the surface of pure sputtered nanocrystalline MoS2 coatings after high-temperature aging and how it is impacted by the density of coatings as measured by RBS. Results show that low-density coatings (rho = 3.55 g/cm3) exhibit a more columnar microstructure and voiding, which act as pathways for oxidative species to penetrate and interact with edge sites, causing severe surface and subsurface oxidation. Furthermore, HS-LEIS of surfaces sheared prior to oxidation reveals that the oxidation resistance of low-density MoS2 coatings can be significantly improved by shear-induced reorientation of the surface microstructure to a basal orientation and elimination of pathways for oxygen into the bulk through compaction of surface and subsurface voids.