Effect of deposition processes on residual stress profiles along the thickness in (Ti,Al)N films

The effect of deposition processes on the distribution of residual stresses in the thickness of the (Ti,Al)N films prepared by arc ion plating (AlP) was investigated in the present work, which indicates that the stress distribution exhibits a "bell" shape and the maximum compressive stress appears in the layer near the surface. The residual stress increases with the thickness of a film and the substrate bias voltage, respectively. The stress distribution can be altered, and the adhesion of the film/substrate can be improved by optimizing the deposition parameters. Finally, a film with a thickness of 7.57 mu m was successfully directly deposited on the substrate through optimizing the bias voltage. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.