Interpretation of Electrochemical Impedance for Corrosion of a Coated Silver Film in Terms of a Pore-in-Pore Model

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to study the degradation behavior of thin multilayer stacks; Si 3 N 4 /Ag/Si 3 N 4 . Measurements were carried out in 0.5 M Na 2 SO 4 adjusted at pH 10. The impedance data collected at the open circuit potential were analyzed with a physical model where all elements are clearly defined. The results suggest a c onstant phase element behavior at the electrolyte dielectric interface assigned to an in-depth distribution of local resistivity through the dielectric layer induced by the electrolyte penetration. To explain the electrochemical behavior of the thin silver layer, a localized corrosion in a delaminated zone between the upper dielectric and the silver layers was adopted. The localized corrosion was found to be related to the granular structure of the silver layer in which pores are formed between the grains of silver. This model is equivalent to a recently developed double porosity or pore-in-pore model.