Ti–Al–Si–N films with various composition ratios were deposited by a specially designed cosputtering system with three magnetron cathodes by controlling the impressed power ratios on each cathode independently. All the films were deposited on Si wafers at under a total gas pressure of with a nitrogen flow ratio of 70% using Ti, Al, and Si targets. Hardness and Young’s modulus normal to the surface of the Ti–Al–Si–N films were analyzed by nanoindentation equipped with a Berkovich diamond indenter. It was clarified that the hardest condition of the films with different ratios could be obtained when the Si content was about , whereas the maximum values of the hardness did not depend on the Al content. Nanocomposite structures where Ti–Al–N or Ti–Al–Si–N nanocrystallites were embedded in an amorphous matrix were clearly observed by transmission electron microscopy which must contribute largely on the hardening of the films. The size of the nanocrystallites for the hardest film was about . On the other hand, the solid solution of Al atoms into was not so effective in the Ti–Al–Si–N films. The hardest film of the Ti–Al–Si–N system in this study was with a hardness of .
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July 2007
Research Article|
July 03 2007
Ti–Al–Si–N films for superhard coatings deposited by reactive cosputtering using Ti, Al, and Si targets
A. Miyamura;
A. Miyamura
Graduate School of Science and Engineering,
Aoyama Gakuin University
, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8558, Japan
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M. Yamaguchi;
M. Yamaguchi
Graduate School of Science and Engineering,
Aoyama Gakuin University
, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8558, Japan
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K. Hattori;
K. Hattori
National Metrology Institute of Japan
, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 3, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8563, Japan
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Y. Sato;
Y. Sato
Graduate School of Science and Engineering,
Aoyama Gakuin University
, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8558, Japan
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S. Nakamura;
S. Nakamura
Graduate School of Science and Engineering,
Aoyama Gakuin University
, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8558, Japan
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Y. Shigesato
Y. Shigesato
a)
Graduate School of Science and Engineering,
Aoyama Gakuin University
, 5-10-1 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8558, Japan
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; electronic mail: yuzo@chem.aoyama.ac.jp
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 25, 1103–1107 (2007)
Article history
Received:
November 09 2006
Accepted:
February 26 2007
Citation
A. Miyamura, M. Yamaguchi, K. Hattori, Y. Sato, S. Nakamura, Y. Shigesato; Ti–Al–Si–N films for superhard coatings deposited by reactive cosputtering using Ti, Al, and Si targets. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 July 2007; 25 (4): 1103–1107. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2721577
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