Influence of the plasma nitriding conditions on the chemical and morphological characteristics of TiN coatings deposited on silicon

Titanium nitride (TiN) coatings were grown on silicon substrates by cathodic cage plasma deposition (CCPD). TiN coatings present interesting properties, such as high hardness, chemical and thermal stabilities, good thermal and electrical conductivities, and corrosion resistance, making them suitable for several technologically important applications. The influence of parameters such as plasma nitriding atmosphere, temperature, and time on the chemical and morphological characteristics of the deposited coatings was investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results obtained by these characterization techniques revealed that the TiN coatings produced by CCPD presented high quality.