Effect of substrate temperature on the structural properties of magnetron sputtered titanium nitride thin films with brush plated nickel interlayer on mild steel

Thin films of titanium nitride (TiN) were prepared on mild steel (MS) by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method namely direct current reactive magnetron sputtering. With the aim of improving the adhesion of TiN layer an additional Nickel interlayer was brush plated on the steel substrates prior to TiN film formation. The phase has been identified with X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and the results show that the prominent peaks observed in the diffraction patterns correspond to the (1 1 1), (2 0 0) and (2 2 2) planes of TiN. Cross-sectional SEM indicated the presence of dense columnar structure. The mechanical properties (modulus and hardness) of these films were characterized by nanoindentation.