Abstract
Carbon nitride (CNx) hard coatings, prepared by unbalanced dc magnetron sputtering of carbon in an argon / nitrogen atmosphere, have been studied using Auger electron spectroscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The films were deposited on silicon substrates at about 250 °C and reached a saturation value of the nitrogen to carbon ratio of 0.17. This value was increased by the presence of chromium at the interface layer to the substrate. The in-depth composition of the CNx hard coatings was found to be homogeneous, even after heat treatment up to 800 °C in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). However, the UHV heat treatment resulted in diffusion processes and chemical interactions at the interface to the substrate.
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