Microstructure and properties of Ti2AlN thin film synthesized by vacuum annealing of high power pulsed magnetron sputtering deposited Ti/AlN multilayers

The (002) texture, compactness, and smoothness Ti2AlN thin films render them promising for many potential applications, especially in the surface modification of wear-resistant components. In this study, Ti2AlN thin films were fabricated by the vacuum annealing of Ti/AlN multilayers deposited by hig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSurface & coatings technology Vol. 425; p. 127749
Main Authors Ma, D.L., Deng, Q.Y., Liu, H.Y., Li, Y.T., Leng, Y.X.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Lausanne Elsevier B.V 15.11.2021
Elsevier BV
Subjects
Adhesion
Aluminum nitride
Coefficient of friction
Crystallization
Hardness
High power pulsed magnetron sputtering
Magnetron sputtering
Microstructure
Modulation
Multilayers
Photovoltaic cells
Smoothness
Substrates
Thin films
Ti2AlN
Vacuum annealing
Wear resistance
Ti2AlN
High power pulsed magnetron sputtering
Wear resistance
Microstructure
Hardness
Adhesion
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Summary:The (002) texture, compactness, and smoothness Ti2AlN thin films render them promising for many potential applications, especially in the surface modification of wear-resistant components. In this study, Ti2AlN thin films were fabricated by the vacuum annealing of Ti/AlN multilayers deposited by high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS). The influence of the multilayer modulation ratio and modulation period of Ti/AlN on the microstructure and properties of the Ti2AlN thin film were explored. The results indicate that a Ti/AlN modulation ratio close to 6:4 and period less than 30 nm are appropriate for yielding high-quality crystallized Ti2AlN thin films. The microstructure of the Ti2AlN thin film is (002) textured, nanocrystalline, smooth, and compact, which benefits from the HPPMS technique. The Ti2AlN thin film adheres well to the substrate and has a hardness of 32.5 ± 2.1 GPa and has a friction coefficient of 0.15 while tested with a Si3N4 friction pair. •The modulation ratio and period are critical for Ti2AlN thin film synthesis.•HPPMS improves the (002) texture and compactness of the Ti2AlN thin film.•HPPMS enhances the adhesion, hardness and wear resistance of the Ti2AlN thin film.
ISSN:0257-8972
1879-3347
DOI:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2021.127749