Abstract
Carbon tool steel substrates were quenched after TiN coating by dc magnetron sputtering, and the effects of substrate post-quenching on the mechanical properties of TiN films were investigated. The residual stress of TiN film was decreased by substrate post-quenching, and the hardness of TiN film also decreased. On the other hand, the adhesive strength determined by the scratch test and the substrate hardness were improved by substrate post-quenching. The improvement in the adhesive strength could be explained by the following three effects of substrate post-quenching: decrease of residual stress, increase in substrate hardness, and the formation of a diffusion layer between the film and the substrate caused by the elevated temperature in substrate post-quenching.
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