Abstract
The effect of the process parameter, substrate bias, on the internal stress, microstructure and hardness of sputter ion-plated titanium nitride (TiN) coatings has been investigated. It is found that high bias levels result in coatings of fine grain size, high internal stress, low porosity and high hardness. The role of the thermal mismatch contribution to internal stress in densification of the coating is elucidated. “Hardness anisotropy” has been observed when indenting plan and cross-sections of thick (about 20 μm) TiN and tungsten titanium carbide coatings. An explanation for this behaviour has been proposed in terms of the microstructural anisotropy of the coatings coupled with the internal stress state acting within the test surface. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies of coating morphology, grain size, defect density and texture have been performed and the results obtained used to estimate the relative contributions of grain size and defect density to coating hardness using a simple Hall-Petch approach.
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