X-ray diffraction investigations of adherent and free standing TiN coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering

Abstract

TiN coatings deposited on steel substrates at different biases and temperatures, and with different nitrogen contents, were studied by conventional X-ray powder diffractometry. The diffraction peaks were separated by profile fitting. In adherent films different kinds of texture and a large anisotropy of lattice parameters ( a(hhh) < a( h00) < a( hh0)) were detected. In corresponding free-standing films lower average values of lattice parameters were found and their anisotropy decreased considerably. The microstrain determined from X-ray line broadening remained unchanged, which proves its inelastic nature owing to the lattice defects.