[2Ip01-07] Vacuum Science Technology (VST)

[2Ip07] Manufacture and microstructure of refractory metal nitride films by magnetrom sputtering technique

*Fan-Bean Wu¹, Kun-Yuan Liu¹, Ya-Huei Yang¹, Jan-Ying Xiang¹, Su-Yu Hsu¹, Yun-Chi Chang¹ (1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National United University, Taiwan)

The refractory metal nitride coatings, including TaN and MoN based films, were fabricated by magnetron sputtering technique. The microstructure features varied with the sputtering input power. The RMN films could be produced with amorphous, nanocrystalline, columnar feature depending on the type and the power density of magnetron sputtering. The RFMS power tuned from 50 to 250 W on a 2-in. sputtering source of Ta metal would be able to manufacture TaN films with amorphous, nanocrystalline and columnar grains. The amorphous structure turned into short columnar feature at the near surface region as the RMN films grew. On the other hand, the HiPIMS RMN films showed a multiphase microstructure under various duty cycles and power densities. The mechanical properties of the RMN coating were demonstrated and explained in terms of the microstructure evolution.