Microstructural evolution of titanium nitride (TiN) coatings produced by reactive ion beam-assisted, electron beam physical vapor deposition (RIBA, EB-PVD)

Titanium nitride (TiN) coatings have been successfully deposited on 304 sta inless steel substrates by reactive ion beam-assisted, electron beam-physic al vapor deposition (RIBA, EB-PVD). The hardness values of the TiN coatings varied from 800 to 2500 VHN depending on the processing condition. The lat tice parameter and hardness variation were correlated with processing param eters such as: deposition rate, bias, ion source energies, process gas, sub strate temperature, and coating composition. The hardness of the TiN coatin gs increased with increasing ion energy. The ion energies combined with the deposition rate were the limiting factors controlling the degree of surfac e texturing. Surface texturing was only observed for those coatings deposit ed >8 Angstrom/s. (C) 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers.