E. Kusano et al., Preparation of TiC films by alternate deposition of Ti and C layers using a dual magnetron sputtering source, SURF COAT, 121, 1999, pp. 378-382
Titanium carbide (TiC) films have been prepared by alternately depositing t
hin Ti and C layers on aluminosilicate glass substrate by magnetron sputter
ing. The apparatus used in the experiment was a dual-cathode-sputtering mac
hine with a carousel type substrate holder. By rotating the substrate holde
r at a rotation speed of 30 rev/min, a thin Ti layer of 0-0.15 nm and a thi
n C layer of 0-0.072 nm depending on the cathode current were alternately d
eposited on the substrate. The Ti/C compositional ratios of films were cont
rolled by varying the flux ratio (layer thickness ratio) of the Ti and C so
urces. This allowed films of Ti, TiC, and C to be prepared. The composition
, structure, and hardness of the deposited films were estimated as a functi
on of the source C/Ti flux ratio. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectr
oscopy showed that the film composition varied continuously from Ti:C = 1:0
to 0:1, and that some oxygen was incorporated as an impurity for low C/Ti
ratios. The X-ray diffraction measurement results showed that the film stru
cture changed from alpha-Ti (obtained for a C/Ti flux ratio <0.1), to fcc-T
iC (obtained for C flux ratios of 0.2 to 0.5), to an amorphous structure (o
btained for C flux ratios >0.5), and that the lattice spacing increased con
tinuously with increasing C flux ratio For the polycrystalline TiC films. A
maximum microhardness of about 17 GPa was obtained for films deposited at
flux ratio of unity. In the sliding wear resistance test, higher abrasive w
ear resistance was observed for films deposited with C/Ti flux ratios of mo
re than 0.33. The transition of the film structure and composition correspo
nds well to the film hardness and abrasive wear behavior. (C) 1999 Elsevier
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