A QUANTITATIVE MODEL FOR THE EVOLUTION FROM RANDOM ORIENTATION TO A UNIQUE TEXTURE IN PVD THIN-FILM GROWTH

The continuous evolution from a random crystalline orientation (near t he substrate) towards a definite texture (near the outer surface), est ablished in the previous paper for PVD TiN coatings, was modelled quan titatively. The tendency for the smallest possible surface energy was considered as the driving force for the texture evolution. The experim ental trends observed in the texture evolution could be reproduced, us ing realistic parameters. From an analytical treatment simple expressi ons for crucial characteristics of the texture evolution could be obta ined, as for instance for the typical time (or thickness) at which the system will switch from a random to a peaked distribution, and for th e time dependence of the spread of the orientational distribution of t he crystallites in the growing film.