Microstructural characterization of Ti-C-N thin films prepared by reactive crossed beam pulsed laser deposition

► Raman spectroscopy analysis showed a strong dependence of the microstructure on the carbon content in the Ti-C-N films grown by RCBPLD. ► Thin films with a carbon content less than approximately 14 at% form a multiphase solid solution of TiN-TiCN. ► Increasing carbon content in the films promotes the formation of a nanocomposite of TiCN and TiC nanocrystals in an amorphous carbon matrix. ► The Raman features of the Ti-C-N films are very sensitive to carbon content suggesting that the observed Raman shifts could be used to estimate the carbon content in the films.