Properties of graded TiCxNy coatings deposited by a low-temperature HCD ion coating technique

Hollow cathode deposition (HCD) ion-coating TiCxNy thin films were deposited on ASTM-M2 tool steel. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the coatings were characterized and the relationship between the depth of the films and the microstructure was also investigated. GDOS and SEM were used to study the film composition and structure. The crystal phases and preferred orientation were characterized using X-ray diffraction. The transition from nitrogen- to carbon-rich TiCxNy film, together with the corresponding changes in microhardness, lattice parameters, and the domain size, is controlled by the constituents of the reactive gas mixture. In order to understand how this mixture affects the coating properties, powerful techniques, such as an auto-polishing machine, were used.