Use of a nitrogen–argon plasma to improve adherence of sputtered titanium carbide coatings on steel

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Abstract
Friction and wear experiments on 440-C steel surfaces that had been rf sputtered with titanium carbide when a small percentage of nitrogen was added to the plasma were conducted. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction were used to analyze the resultant coatings. Results indicate that a small partial pressure of nitrogen (∠0.5%) markedly improves the adherence, friction, and wear properties when compared with coatings applied on sputter-etched, oxidized surfaces or in the presence of a small oxygen partial pressure. The improvements are related to the formation of an interface containing a mixture of the nitrides of titanium and iron which are harder than their corresponding oxides.

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