Some properties of TiN films produced in hollow cathode and microwave ECR hybrid plasma system

Properties of TiN films grown in a hybrid system combining linear magnetized hollow cathode with Ti plates and an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave plasma were studied. The films of 0.5–1.6 μm in thickness were deposited on both high-speed steel (HSS) and Si substrates. High quality films with dense microstructure and high hardness were obtained. Microstructure was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for study of the surface morphology and the film–substrate interface, and mechanical properties were evaluated by nano indentation. It has been found that the interaction of the microwave power with both the substrate and the growing film can affect the growth regime and consequently the film properties. Formation of interfacial film defects is more frequent on Si substrates than on steel due to an absorption of the microwave power in the Si substrate during deposition. This effect was confirmed by temperature measurements. The TiN film properties were compared with reference samples deposited by conventional methods. The films obtained by the hybrid source reach quality comparable or even better than the best commercial TiN films.