Mechanical properties of TiB2-based nanostructured coatings

This paper is devoted to the study and characterization of the mechanical properties of TiB2-based nanostructured coatings fabricated by magnetron sputtering. Attempts to enhance the hardness and adhesion of the TiB2-based nanostructured coatings by controlling the deposition parameters, such as bias power and substrate sputter-cleaning are presented. It was found that substrate-sputter cleaning and application of a RF bias during deposition significantly improved the coating adhesion, but substrate biasing deteriorated coating hardness. By proper control of the biasing period, a TiB2 coating with high hardness and good adhesion strength can be produced.