Deposition and Characterization of Magnetron Sputtered TiN Coatings with Variable Stoichiometry

In the present paper, a series of TiN coatings, deposited using magnetron sputtering unit were characterized in terms of their stoichiometry, microgeometry, and microstructure. The coatings were obtained at 1, 3, 5, 7 sccm N2 flow at constant chamber pressure. Their thickness and microstructure were studied using scanning electron microscopy and the stoichiometry was observed using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The microgeometry of the coatings was obtained using atomic-force microscope. Stable modes of obtaining TiN coatings with nitrogen content from 8.56 to 46.04 atomic percent with an average deposition rate from 6.8 to 8.86 angstroms per second were demonstrated. The results demonstrated an almost linear relationship between the composition of the coatings and the composition of the gas mixture during the deposition process up to a nitrogen flow of 5 sccm. At higher values of the nitrogen flow, the composition of the coatings does not change significantly. This observation can be used to predict the required composition of the gas mixture under the given process parameters to obtain TiN coatings of the required thickness and with the required elemental composition.