Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of TiAlN and Ti₃AlN Films Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract:

Two series of TiAlN and Ti₃AlN films have been deposited on Si (100) substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering TiAl and Ti₃Al targets in Ar/N₂ mixture. The effects of incoming ions energies controlled by V_b on the microstructure, morphologies, residual stress and hardness have been explored by XRD, SEM, AFM, surface profiler and nanoindentation. The results showed that single phase cubic Ti-Al-N solid solubility formed by Al atoms replacing some Ti atoms in the cubic TiN lattice occured in both TiAlN and Ti₃AlN films. As substrate bias increased, the preferred orientation firstly changed from (111) to (200), and then returned to (111) at higher substrate bias. At the same time, high substrate bias promoted the densification of films and presence of high compressive stress, which is benefit for improvement of hardness.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 816)
• Pages: 283-288
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.816.283
• Online since: April 2015
• Authors: Hao Huang, Zhen Xi Li, Min Juan Wang, Chuan Xie
• Keywords: Hardness, Stress, Substrate Bias, Ti₃AlN Film, TiAlN Film

References

[1] J.D. Bressan, R. Hesse, E.M. Silva Jr., Wear 250 (2001), p.561–568.

[2] M.W. Barsoum, C.J. Rawn, T. El-Raghy, A.T. Procopio, W.D. Porter, H. Wang, C.R. Hubbard, J. Appl. Phys. 87 (12) (2000), p.8407–8414.

DOI: 10.1063/1.373555

[3] T. -H. Cha, D. -G. Park, T. -K. Kim, S. -A. Jang, I. -S. Yeo, J. -S. Roh, J.W. Park, Appl. Phys. Lett. 81 (2002), p.4192–4194.

[4] Q. Yang, D.Y. Seo, L.R. Zhao, X.T. Zeng, Surf. Coat. Technol. 188–189 (2004) , p.168–173.

[5] Narasimhulu Andriya, P Venkateswara Rao, and Sudarsan Ghosh, Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering 2012 Vol III WCE 2012, July 4 - 6, 2012, London, U. K.

[6] K. N. Jallad and D. Ben-Amotz: Wear, 2002, 252, p.956–969.

[7] R. Karmhag, C.G. Ribbing, Appl. Opt. 38 (1999) , p.674–678.

[8] Z. -J. Liu and Y. G. Shen, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 24 (2006) 174.

[9] M. Ahlgren and H. Blomqvist: Surf. Coat. Technol., 2005, 200 (1–4), p.157–160.

[10] H. Ichimura and A. Kawana: J. Mater. Res., 1993, 8, (5), p.1093–1100.

[11] J. Shieh and M. H. Hon: Thin Solid Films, 2001, 391, p.101.

[12] B. K. Gan, M. M. M. Bilek, D. R. McKenzie, M. B. Taylor and D. G. McCulloch, J. Appl. Phys. 95, 2130 (2004).

[13] C. V. Thompson, Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 30, 159 (2000).

[14] Petrov I, Barna P B, Hultman L and Greene J E 2003 J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 21, S117.

[15] Windischmann H 1987 J. Appl. Phys. 62 1800.

[16] Davis C A 1993 Thin Solid Films 226 30.