Structural and chemical characteristics of (Ti,Al)N films prepared by ion mixing and vapor deposition

The characterization of titanium aluminum nitride (Ti,Al)N films prepared by ion mixing and vapor deposition (IVD) technique has been performed using several analytical techniques. In this study, the phase diagram of the films with various evaporation ratios Al/Ti was summarized successfully. The phase transition from single-phase NaCl to double-phase (NaCl+wurtzite) structure occurs with an increase of Al/Ti and/or with a decrease of substrate temperature. The (Ti,Al)N films with two-phase structure have a high performance in hardness. They are also highly resistant to oxidation. Consequently, the results suggest that the Al oxide layers formed on the top of (Ti,Al)N films during elevated temperature oxidation tests protect the films from further oxidation.