DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TIN COATINGS BY ION-BEAM-ASSISTEDDEPOSITION PROCESS FOR IMPROVED WEAR-RESISTANCE

TiN thin layers have been deposited on mould and die steel STD11 by io n beam assisted deposition (IBAD) process and the wear behaviour of th e TiN-coated steel has been evaluated. The synthesis of the TiN rim ha s been performed by irradiation of nitrogen or Xe ions under various n itrogen partial pressures with in situ Ti evaporation at an accelerati ng voltage range from 25 to 40 keV below 200 degrees C. TiN coating by Xe irradiation was more effective in enhancing the surface hardness a nd wear resistance. The formation behaviour and mechanical properties of TiN films synthesized by the IBAD process are discussed with Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and other analysis data. In a ddition, the performance of TiN coatings on precision moulds and dies in semiconductor manufacturing lines is also discussed.