Pulsed-plasma assisted magnetron methods of depositing TiN coatings

Abstract Results are presented of an investigation of the deposition processes of TiN coatings by stationary magnetron discharge, with the addition of high-voltage pulses (0–2 kV) applied to the plasma source electrodes or to the substrate. Two different configurations of deposition system were investigated: (1) a hybrid plasma source, which is the combination of a direct-current (DC) magnetron with a Marshall gun; and (2) radio-frequency (RF)-sustained DC magnetron with a pulse biased processed sample. The results of studies on both the discharge characteristics and the properties of the deposited TiN coatings are presented. The influence of pulsed ion bombardment on the chemical composition of the deposited coatings is shown.