Surface engineering with ion-assisted coatings

Abstract

Ion-assisted coating (IAC) combines both ion implantation and coating techniques into an effective method of tailoring surface properties. Improvements arise partly for the same reasons that plasmas aid coatings, but with the additional advantages that the ion beam is well-controlled and highly efficient in imparting energy to the substrate surface and to the film. Without heating, it produces metal and ceramic coatings with broad ion beam mixed interfaces for good film adhesion, and permits direct chemical modification of the coating and substrate before, during, and after deposition. IAC processes can utilize different types of deposition systems; with an rf magnetron source, implanted coatings of nearly any material can be produced. IAC techniques will be briefly described; examples of different IAC applications and processes will be given, including metal films on ceramics and ion-assisted low temperature growth of very thin, highly adherent TiN films on metals which produce low friction, low wear surfaces.