Characteristics of hollow cathode discharge plasma and its application for the reactive ion plating of TiN and TiC

Abstract

A hollow cathode discharge (HCD) plasma source was developed and its characteristics were investigated as the evaporation and ionization source for the reactive ion plating of titanium. There is a proper pressure range for ion plating process ∼1×10−2 mbar for the maximum electron density. Titanium nitride and titanium carbide films have been prepared by the HCD plasma enhanced reactive ion plating. The dependence of the electron density and temperature of plasma on the vessel pressure was examined. The interfacial region of the titanium-coated SUS-304 and the high-speed steel substrates were analyzed by the Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling to identify the effects of the ion bombardment. It was shown that the parameters such as the substrate bias voltage and reactive gas flow rate influenced the film properties such as the crystal orientation, color tone, deposition rate, grain size, and hardness.