Film thickness effect and substrate dependent tribo-mechanical characteristics of titanium nitride films

The influence of film thickness on the microstructure and tribomechanical characteristics of titanium nitride (TiN) thin films deposited using reactive DC magnetron sputtering technique on Si (100) and 316LN stainless steel substrates were studied. The hardness and elastic modulus were noticeably improved by increasing the film thickness on both the substrates. Improvement in microstructure with increasing the film thickness was the governing factor for enhancing tribomechanical characteristics of TiN films. This fact is directly related to the improved resistance to plastic deformation. Abrasive wear was operated in thinner films, whereas, adhesive wear mode dominated for thicker films.