Nucleation and Growth Mechanisms in Ion-Plated TiN Films on Steel Substrates.

摘要

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) was used to investigate the nucleation and growth characteristics of TiN films, ion plated on tool and stainless steel substrates with and without an (alpha)-Ti underlayer ((approx)100 nm thick). It was found that (1) at lower deposition temperatures, the underlayer (alpha)-Ti remains unchanged and exhibits a layer + island growth mode; (2) at higher deposition temperatures, the underlayer may transform into a TiC phase on M50 steel and into a (delta)(prime)-TiN phase on 316L stainless steel; (3) the growth behavior of TiN films was controlled primarily by the reaction thermodynamics and diffusion kinetics of Ti and N adatoms. Based on microscopic evidence together with the kinetic and thermodynamic considerations a mechanistic model is presented to describe the nucleation and growth mechanisms of ion-plated TiN films under the deposition conditions explored in this study. 20 refs., 4 figs.