On the porosity of TiN films deposited by HCD ion plating
By Cui, Xinyan & Martin, David C.
Published in Surface and Coatings Technology
2002
Abstract
Porosity is virtually unavoidable in coatings such as TiN films deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on metal surfaces. This investigation examines the porosity of TiN films deposited by a hollow cathode discharge (HCD) ion plating system. The porosity of TiN coatings is affected by the combined effects of deposition time, deposition temperature and the process parameters related to the ion bombardment during deposition, such as bias voltage and deposition power. TiN films deposited with prolonged time have lower porosity. High temperature, high degree of ion bombardment can reduce the porosity of TiN films due to the enhanced effective mobility of atoms. Temperature and ion bombardment also affect the development of the texture and grain size of TiN coatings. Within the investigated ranges, the denser TiN coatings either have large grains or a highly (111)-preferred texture with smaller grain.