Effect of oxidation temperature on microstructure, mechanical behaviors and surface morphology of nanocomposite Ti–Cx–Ny thin films

Two nanocomposite Ti–Cx–Ny thin films, TiC0.95N0.60 and TiC2.35N0.68, as well as one pure TiN, were deposited at 500 °C on Si(1 0 0) substrate by reactive unbalanced dc-magnetron sputtering. Oxidation experiments of these films were carried out in air at fixed temperatures in a regime of 250–600 °C with an interval of 50 °C. As-deposited and oxidized films were characterized and analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), microindentation, Newtonʹs ring methods and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that the starting oxidation temperature of nanocomposite Ti–Cx–Ny thin films was 300 °C irrespective of the carbon content; however their oxidation rate strongly depended on their carbon content. Higher carbon content caused more serious oxidation. After oxidation, the film hardness value remained up to the starting oxidation temperature, followed by fast decrease with increasing heating temperature. The residual compressive stress did not show a similar trend with the hardness. Its value was first increased with increase of heating temperature, and got its maximum at the starting oxidation temperature. A decrease in residual stress was followed when heating temperature was further increased. The film surface roughness value was slightly increased with heating temperature till the starting oxidation temperature, a great decrease in surface roughness was followed with further increase of heating temperature.