Dependence of the mechanical and structural properties of (Ti,Al)N films on the nitrogen content
1999 ◽
Vol 14
(7)
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pp. 2830-2837
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Keyword(s):
X Ray
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(Ti,Al)N films with increasing nitrogen content were grown by reactive cosputtering and characterized by auger electron spectroscopy, grazing x-ray diffraction, polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, nanoindentation, and atomic force microscopy. For Ti/Al ≈ 1 the Ti1−x AlxN phase is always present, but lower nitrogen contents lead to an additional phase, probably α–Ti(Al), which causes a decrease in hardness and Young's modulus. The increase of nitrogen content results ina decrease of surface roughness or a more compacted surface coating, according to the impedance results.