Three dimensional imaging of deformation modes in TiN-based thin film coatings

A TiN thin film coating, approximately 4 μm in thickness, deposited on a ductile steel substrate, was subject to surface deformation via nanoindentation using a spherical indenter, 5 μm in radius, with loads up to 500 mN. Pop-ins were observed during loading, which are characteristic of the onset of cracking and the formation of shear steps at the coating–substrate interface. Focused ion beam microscopy was used to prepare cross-sections through the indentation that revealed the presence of both intercolumnar and inclined cracks. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the deformation zone beneath the indentation were performed using a dual-beam focus ion beam instrument. These constructions provided more detailed images of the morphology of cracks, which were observed to be consistent with theoretical models of plastic deformation of such brittle coatings.