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L. Zauner, T. Wojcik, T Kozák, J Capek, H. Bolvardi, S. Koloszvári, P.H. Mayrhofer, H. Riedl:
"Reactive HiPIMS deposition of Ti-Al-N: Influencing the Cubic to Wurtzite phase transition";
Poster: PLATHINIUM (Plasma Thin film International Union Meeting), Antibes; 2019-09-23 - 2019-09-27.

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is often seen as one key-technology in the deposition of future hard and multifunctional coating materials. Through the introduction of high amplitude impulses at relatively low duty cycles, the amount of ionized species, either target near gas atoms or sputtered target atoms, can be increased drastically. These highly dense plasmas have various consequences on the film growth and hence coating properties, as well as on the sputter behavior of the target material itself. Applying reactive gas mixtures such as N2/Ar atmospheres, e.g. for the deposition of TiN coatings, lead to further complex effects within the plasma. Several studies clearly highlighted the outstanding coating properties as well as metastable phases accessible, using HiPIMS compared to conventional DC magnetron sputtering, whereas a majority of these investigations concentrate on the plasma physics itself.
Therefore, we focused in this study on the reactive HiPIMS deposition of Ti-Al-N coatings using Ti1-xAlx composite targets (x = 0.40 and 0.70) in mixed Ar/N2 atmospheres. The influence of the HiPIMS parameters such as frequency, pulse length, or synchronized bias potentials, but also of the deposition parameters like partial pressure, deposition temperature, or total pressure were investigated methodically. The so obtained coating structures were analyzed with respect to phase stability, thermomechanical properties, and morphology applying nanoindentation, X-ray diffraction combined with electron imaging techniques (SEM and HR-TEM). In addition, to correlate the observed phase stabilizing effects in relation to the deposition parameters various plasma analysis methods have been applied. Especially, the amount and type of ionized species was quantified for specific parameter settings utilizing mass spectroscopy.

R-HiPIMS; Ti-Al-N; Phase Formation; Deposition Parameters; Protective Coatings;

Project Head Helmut Riedl:
CDL-SEC