POSTDEPOSITION TREATMENTS OF HARD COATINGS .2. ION-BEAM TREATMENTS OFTIN AND RELATED COATINGS

This paper presents an overview of the current state of the art on the effects of ion implantation treatments using nitrogen, argon and carb on on the tribological and structural properties of TiNx films. Data o btained by the authors and by other groups are discussed. Where availa ble, data from similar treatments of related coatings (TiC and ZrN) ar e also presented. Improvements in tribological properties, in particul ar wear and adhesion, appear to be a general feature of implanted TiN coatings, irrespective of species and implantation parameters. However , ultramicrohardness of implanted films increases or decreases under v arious conditions, indicating that a number of different mechanisms co ntribute to wear improvements under various implantation regimes. Anot her common feature of implanted films is the observation that the trea tment causes changes in the colour of the films, which vary with impla nted species and dose. These changes are attributed to changes in stoi chiometry induced by the beam in the upper layers of the films, and to changes in the surface texture.