Preparation of Super-Hard Nanocomposite Films by ICP Assisted Magnetron Sputtering

摘要

Super-hard nanocomposite films were deposited on Si(100) substrates with irradiation of a high-density (～2.0 mA/cm~2) low-energy (～22 eV) ion flux by an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assistance to magnetron sputtering process. Low-stress, super-hard nanocomposite Ti-Cu-N and Ti-Si-N films could be synthesized at low deposition temperatures below 300 °C. Prepared films exhibited a pronounced TiN(200) texture and the film hardness was significantly enhanced by the addition of Cu and Si, where a maximum value of 42 GPa at approximately 2 at% Cu addition and 48 GPa at approximately 5.8 at.% Si. Ti-Cu-N films were consisting of nanocolumns of TiN crystallites with dispersion of Cu crystallites around the columnar boundaries. While Ti-Si-N films were characterized as having a nanocolumns of TiN crystallites with amorphous Si_3N_4 inside the columnar boundaries. The residual compressive stresses of these films were lower than 1.5 GPa and no refinement of crystallite size by the addition of Cu and /or Si was observed, from which the hardness enhancement was attributed to a nanocomposite effect.