GROWTH OF TIB2 AND TIC COATINGS USING PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION

Refractory coatings of TiC and TiB2 have been grown by pulsed laser de position on Si(100) and on X155 steel at various substrate temperature s ranging from 40 degrees C-650 degrees C. A pulsed KrF excimer laser was used with the deposition chamber at a base pressure of 10(-6) mbar . The morphology and structure of the films, studied with scanning ele ctron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and transmission el ectron microscopy (TEM) analysis, showed that polycrystalline films wi th fine morphology of TIC and TiB2 were deposited with grain sizes of 10 nm-70 nm at all substrate temperatures. Shifts in the X-ray diffrac tion peaks were attributed to the presence of residual stresses in the films, which decreased as the substrate temperature was increased. Fi nally, the metallic behavior of the coatings was studied by electrical resistivity measurements. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.