Abstract
Ti-Si-N-O coatings were deposited on AISI D2 tool steel and silicon substrates by dc reactive magnetron co-sputtering using a target of Ti-Si with a constant area ratio of 0.2. The substrate temperature was 400 °C and reactive atmosphere of nitrogen and argon. For all samples, argon flow was maintained constant at 25 sccm, while the flow of the nitrogen was varied to analyze the structural changes related to chemical composition and resistivity. According to results obtained by x-ray diffraction and stoichiometry calculations by x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy the Ti-Si-N-O coatings contain two solid solutions. The higher crystalline part corresponds to titanium oxynitrure. Hardness tests on the coatings were carried out using the indentation work model and the hardness value was determined. Finally, the values of hardness were corroborated by nanoindentation test, and values of Young’s modulus and elastic recovery were discussed. We concluded that F2TSN sample (FAr = 25 sccm, FN = 5 sccm, P = 200 W, and PW = 8.9 × 10−3 mbar) presented the greatest hardness and the lowest resistivity values, due to its preferential crystalline orientation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S.H. Kim, J.W. Jang, S.S. Kang, K.H. Kim, Synthesis and Mechanical Evaluation of Nanocomposite Coating Layer of nc-TiN/a-Si3N4 on SKD 11 Steel by Sputtering, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 130–131, 2002, p 283–288, in English
H. Watanabe, Y. Sato, Ch. Nie, A. Ando, S. Ohtani, N. Iwamoto, The Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Ti-Si-N Nanocomposite Coatings by Ion Plating, Surf. Coat. Technol., 169–170, 2003, p 452–455, in English
J.S. Reid, E. Kolawa, C.M. Garland, M.-A. Nicolet, F. Cardone, D. Gupta, R.P. Ruiz, Amorphous (Mo, Ta, or W)-Si-N Diffusion Barriers for Al Metallizations, J. Appl. Phys., 79(2), 1996, p 1109–1115, in English
K. Nakajima, Y. Akasaka, K. Miyano, M. Takahashi, S. Suehiro, K. Suguro, Formation Mechanism of Ultrathin WSiN Barrier Layer in a W/WNx/Si System, Appl. Surf. Sci., 117–118, 1997, p 312–316, in English
F. Letendu, M.C. Hugon, B. Agius, I. Vickridge, C. Berthier, J.M. Lameille, TaSiN Diffusion Barriers Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering, Thin Solid Films, 513(1–2), 2006, p 118–124, in English
Y.-J. Lee, B.-S. Suh, M.-S. Kwon, C.-O. Park, Barrier Properties and Failure Mechanism of Ta-Si-N Thin films for Cu Interconnection, J. Appl. Phys., 85(3), 1999, p 1927–1934, in English
J. Bonitz, R. Ecke, S.E. Schulz, T. Gessner, Different SiH4 Treatments of CVD TiN Barrier Layers, Microelectron. Eng., 82(3–4), 2005, p 618–622, in English
H.-E. Cheng, W.-J. Lee, C.-M. Hsu, The Effect of Deposition Temperature on the Properties of TiN Diffusion Barriers Prepared by Atomic Layer Chemical Vapor Deposition, Thin Solid Films, 485(1–2), 2005, p 59–65, in English
L. Gao, J. Li, T. Kusunose, K. Niihara, Preparation and Properties of TiN-Si3N4 Composites, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 24(2), 2004, p 381–386, in English
J. Procházka, P. Karvánková, M.G.J. Vepřek-Heijman, and S. Vepřek, Conditions Required for Achieving Superhardness of ≥45 GPa in nc-TiN/a-Si3N4 Nanocomposites, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2004, 384(1–2), p 102–116, in English
E.V. Shalaeva, S.V. Borisov, O.F. Denisov, M.V. Kuznetsov, Metastable Phase Diagram of Ti-Si-N(O) Films (CSi < 30 at.%), Thin Solid Films, 339(1–2), 1999, p 129–136, in English
Y.C. Ee, Z. Chen, T.M. Lu, Z.L. Dong, S.B. Law, Low Temperature Physical-Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ti-Si-N-O Barrier Films, Electrochem. Solid-State Lett., 9(3), 2006, p G100–G103, in English
P.M. Smith, J.S. Custer, Chemical Vapor Deposition of Titanium-Silicon-Nitride Films, Appl. Phys. Lett., 70(23), 1997, p 3116–3118, in English
Y.C. Ee, Z. Chen, S.B. Law, S. Xu, Formation and Characterization of Ti-Si-N-O Barrier Films, Thin Solid Films, 504(1–2), 2006, p 218–222, in English
A.M. Korsunsky, M.R. McGurk, S.J. Bull, T.F. Page, On the Hardness of Coated System, Surf. Coat. Technol., 99 (1–2), 1998, p 171–183, in English
M. McKeehan, B.E. Warren, X-Ray Study of Cold Work in Thoriated Tungsten, J. Appl. Phys., 24(1), 1953, p 52–56, in English
C. Louro, A. Cavaleiro, Mechanical Behaviour of Amorphous W-Si-N Sputtered Films After Thermal Annealing at Increasing Temperatures, Surf. Coat. Technol., 123(2–3), 2000, p 192–198, in English
S. Vepřek, S. Reiprich, A Concept for the Design of Novel Superhard Coatings, Thin Solid Films, 268(1–2), 1995, p 64–71, in English
J.R. Tuck, A.M. Korsunsky, R.I. Davidson, S.J. Bull, D.M. Elliott, Modelling of the Hardness of Electroplated Nickel Coatings on Copper Substrates, Surf. Coat. Technol., 127, 2000, p 1–8, in English
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by CONACYT by means of the project 58653. Authors gratefully acknowledge Pedro García Jiménez and José Eleazar Urbina Álvarez at CINVESTAV Unidad Querétaro, as well as, Marcela Guerrero and Ana B. Soto at Departamento de Física - CINVESTAV, for their technical assistance.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
García-González, L., Hernández-Torres, J., Mendoza-Barrera, C. et al. Relationship Between Crystalline Structure and Hardness of Ti-Si-N-O Coatings Fabricated by dc Sputtering. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 17, 580–585 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-007-9141-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-007-9141-0