Characteristics of TiN film deposited on stellite using reactive magnetron sputter ion plating

TiN films were deposited onto stellite 6B alloy (Co base) by the reactive magnetron sputter ion plating. As the substrate bias increases, TiN film changes from columnar structure to dense structure with great hardness and smooth surface due to densification and resputtering by ion bombardment. The content of oxygen and carbon impurities in the TiN film decreases greatly when the substrate bias is applied. The preferred orientation of the TiN films changes from (200) to (111) with decreasing N2/Ar ratio and from (200) to (111) and then (220) with increasing the substrate bias. The change of the preferred orientation is discussed in terms of surface energy and strain energy which are related to the impurity contents and the ion bombardment damage. The hardness of the TiN film increases with increasing compressive stress generated in the film by virtue of ion bombardment. It becomes as high as up to 3500 kgf/mm2 when an appropriate substrate bias is applied.