Mechanical Properties of TiN Films with the Preferred Orientations by Nano-Indentation Method

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TiN films with the (111) and (200) preferred orientations were formed on Si(100) and sapphire(0001) substrates by ion-beam-assisted deposition. The difference in the mechanical properties between the (111) and (200) preferred orientation in TiN thin films was clarified by the nano-indentation technique with the trigonal diamond tip. The experiments revealed significant differences in hardness H and modulus E * irrespective of the substrate materials. The measured values were H=16 GPa, E * =316 GPa for the (200) preferred orientation and H=9 GPa, E * =192 GPa for the (111) preferred orientation. The behavior of the plastic deformation in the TiN films was estimated by the cross-sectional SEM observation and the TEM analysis. These microstructural analyses showed significant difference in cross-sectional views of the plastic deformation and the intergranular fracture mechanism.