Surface Properties And Fabrication Of TiAlN Films Using Vacuum Arc Ion Plating With Separated Targets

Due to higher melting point than Al, Ti-Al alloy can be used as cathodic targets in arc ion plating to depress generation of macroparticles. Therefore, Ti-Al alloy is the popular target material to deposit TiAlN films by vacuum arc ion plating. However, voids and constituent disparity in Ti-Al alloy targets will induce unstable arc and the price of Ti-Al alloy target is always high, which restrict its wider applications. Consequently, it's very necessary to develop other technologies, such as straight magnetron filter vacuum arc ion plating with separated targets. Moreover, technics of plating TiAlN films under these arc ion plating technologies need to be investigated.In this paper, TiAlN films have been deposited on M2 high speed steel by straight magnetron filter vacuum arc ion plating with separated targets. The influences of ITi/IAl, working pressure, bias mode on film topography, Al content of films, phase structure, microhardness, critical load, wear resistance, anticorrosion of TiAlN films have been investigated by SEM, EDAX, XRD, micro-indention meter, ball-on-disk friction and wear apparatus and electrochemistry tester respectively.The results reveal that phase structures of TiAlN films deposited by straight magnetron filter vacuum arc ion plating with separated targets are similar with TiN films with NaCl-f.c.c crystal structure. Higher hardness (HV5000) and critical load (61.5N), better wear resistance and anticorrosion properties have been obtained, which indicates that this technology is suitable to deposit wear resistance and anticorrosion coatings.Surface roughness of flims could be decreased effectively by increasing working pressure and ITi/IAl at lower cathodic arc currents, and choosing suitable bias paprameters. Al content in films is adjustable by changing ITi/IAl, bias voltage and duty cycle. And TiAlN films with (111) preferred orientation have been obtained by increasing bias effects, decreasing ITi/IAl and working pressure; Especially, TiAlN films can be deposited under low temperature to avoid annealing of substrates on proper bias mode.