Energetically deposited nano-composite films of high speed steel and titanium nitride

A filtered cathodic vacuum arc system has been used to reactively deposit nano-composite high speed steel (HSS)-TiN films from a cold-sprayed HSS-Ti cathode. The microstructure of the films depended on both the energy of the depositing flux (controlled by substrate bias) and the substrate temperature. With a low substrate bias of − 25 V at room temperature, a fine nanocrystalline microstructure was produced. An increase in preferred orientation of the FCC TiN phase was observed in films deposited at RT with elevated substrate biases. Elevated temperature in the absence of bias promoted orientation of the BCC Fe phase. Moderate substrate bias (~− 200 V) and high substrate temperature (> 250 °C) improved the hardness, elastic modulus and elastic recovery of the HSS-TiN thin films. Potential applications for these films, with tunable mechanical properties, include matching layers between HSS tools and TiN protective coatings.