Mechanical properties of nano-structured Ti-Si-N films synthesized by cathodic arc evaporation

Ti1−xSixN coatings were synthesized by cathodic arc evaporation with plasma-enhancing filter duct, using Ti80Si20 alloy target as cathodes. Optical emission study revealed that excitation, ionization and charge transfer reactions of the Ti-Si-N plasma occurred during the Ti1−xSixN deposition process. The chemical content of Si varied from 3.3 to 6.0 at% in Ti1−xSixN depending on the nitrogen partial pressure of the reaction chamber. All the Ti1−xSixN coatings displayed a NaCl structure and a preferred (2 0 0) orientation parallel to the substrate surface. Among the studied Ti1−xSixN coatings, the Ti1−xSixN with 6 at.% Si possessed the highest hardness of 45 GPa and H3/E*2 ratio of 0.527 GPa, indicating the best resistance to plastic deformation. We found that the structure and mechanical properties of the Ti1−xSixN films were correlated with the nitrogen pressure and silicon content of the coatings.