SYNTHESIS OF PSEUDOBINARY CR-AL-N FILMS WITH B1 STRUCTURE BY RF-ASSISTED MAGNETRON SPUTTERING METHOD

Pseudobinary Cr-Al-N films were synthesized by a new inductively combi ned rf-plasma assisted magnetron sputtering method. It was found that phase transition from B1 (NaCl) structure to B4 (wurtzite) structure o ccurs at an AIN content between 70 mol% and 80 mol%, and the critical composition for the phase transition showed excellent agreement with t he composition (77 mol% AIN) predicted by two band parameters. It was found that the aging effect is observed in the pseudobinary nitride fi lms synthesized by the new magnetron sputtering method. No preferred o rientation was observed in as-deposited pseudobinary nitride films wit h B1 structure, while preferred orientation appeared in these films af ter aging at room temperature for six months. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e S.A.