Microhardness of (Ti,Al)N films deposited by reactive R.F. magnetron sputtering

摘要

Transition metal nitrides and carbides, especially TiN, are widely applied as hard coatings to extend the lifetime of a wide variety of tool steels; however, it has been shown that a binary TiN coating is not sufficient for a variety of applications [1]. There has recently been an increasing interest in the production of films of ternary component compounds to further improve the properties of binary coatings. Aluminum nitride (A1N) coatings have excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and oxidation resistance [2,3]. The deposition of (Ti,Al)N solid solution has thus become an attractive subject for study because of the enhancement of oxidation resistance and the improvement of mechanical properties.