DETERMINATION OF THE COMPOSITION OF TINX, AND TIBXNY FILMS BY AES

For the determination of x and y of TiNx and TiBxNy coatings two Auger methods are presented, one circumventing and the other minimising the difficulties arising from the overlap of the KL(23)L(23) and L(3)M(23 )M(23) peaks of N and Ti respectively. The first method, developed for TiNx coatings, is based on the L(3)M(23)M(45) valence band peak of Ti which develops a distinct second peak on nitridation, 3.9 eV below th e main peak, labelled the L(3)M(23)Hybrid peak. After a simple Shirley background correction, a linear dependence of the L(3)M(23)Hybrid/L(3 )M(23)M(45) peak height ratio on the N/Ti ratio was found. This allows the determination of the N content of a TiNx compound. For TiBxNy coa tings, a more complex shape of the L(3)M(23)M(45) peak is obtained due to the presence of more than one phase, rendering this peak unusable for quantification. Therefore the N/Ti ratio is obtained from the L(3) M(23)M(23)/L(3)M(23)M(45) peak intensity ratio for Ti. To minimise inf luences of the fine structure and improve the accuracy of the method, the negative peak excursions were artificially broadened. The N/Ti rat io so obtained is used in combination with the B concentration determi ned from the KL(23)L(23) peak of B to yield the Ti-B-N composition.