Effect of geometric position on the film properties for a complex-shaped substrate in HiPIMS discharge: Experiment and simulation

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of geometric position on the film properties for a complex-shaped substrate in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge. The substrate is a trapezoidal prism, whose base has four inner corners of 60°, 120°, 75°, and 105°. A negative bias is added to this trapezoidal prism during the high-density discharge to deposit TiAlSiN films. The chemical compositions, microstructures and mechanical properties of the films at different area of the substrate are analyzed using the energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, nano-indentor and Vickers indentation tester. Systematic investigations demonstrate that the films properties have prominent differences on various planes of the trapezoidal-prism sample, due to the so-called shadowing effect. Compared with the measurements on the plane perpendicular to the target surface, there is a higher average hardness and stronger toughness on the plane facing to the target surface. However, the values of both the hardness and toughness are the lowest on the plane facing away from the target surface. Moreover, even for the same plane, the enhanced mechanical properties as well as a smoother surface and denser microstructure appear in the edge regions, with respect to that in the planar center regions. To understand these interesting phenomena, a two-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulation (2D PIC-MCC) and Transport of Ions in Matter method (TRIM) are employed to explore the ion dynamics at the different sites of the sample. Simulation results suggest that a higher ion flux density and larger re-sputtering rate may contribute to the improved film properties in the edge regions. These results in this paper are important for broadening the industrial applications of high ion fraction plasma sources in irregular structures, especially for cutting tools.