Effect of deposition parameters on structural, mechanical and electrochemical properties in Ti/TiN thin films on AISI 316L substrates produced by r. f. magnetron sputtering

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 746; pp. 688 - 698
• Main Authors: Domínguez-Crespo, M.A., Torres-Huerta, A.M., Rodríguez, E., González-Hernández, A., Brachetti-Sibaja, S.B., Dorantes-Rosales, H.J., López-Oyama, A.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 25.05.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Adhesive strength; Austenitic stainless steels; Coefficient of friction; Corrosion resistance; Corrosion resistant steels; Densification; Deposition; Electrochemical analysis; Electrochemical performance; Hardness; Hardness testing; Magnetic properties; Magnetron sputtering; Microstructure; Morphology; Parameters; Protective coatings; Sodium chloride; Substrates; Texturing; Thin films; Ti/TiN thin films; Titanium compounds; Titanium nitride; Tribology; XPS; Electrochemical performance; XPS; Ti/TiN thin films; Microstructure; Hardness
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2018.02.319

Synthesis of Ti/TiN hard coatings on different substrates has been the subject of several researchers in the last decades; however, a more compressive perspective is required for the investigation of the influence of deposition parameters depending on the substrate. This paper focus on evaluating tribological and electrochemical properties of Ti/TiN bilayered coatings deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering on AISI 316L stainless steel substrates in 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions. Numerous factors can influence the electrochemical performance and tribological properties of the coatings; for this reason, the surface modifications through thickness, texturing and morphology were realized varying the sputtering parameters (substrate temperature, T, Power, P, target-to-substrate distance t-s, and Ar/N2 gas ratio). Ti/TiN films were composed of Ti, N, which are correlated with to Ti-N, Ti-O-N and O-Ti-O phases. The friction coefficient varies from 0.12 to 1.3 by the influence of the deposition parameters; the adhesion strength shows a cohesive failure indicating that in all samples coating adhesion to steel was high enough. The corrosion resistance of Ti/TiN bilayered coatings was correlated to both the Ti/TiN film densification and formation of O-Ti-O compounds. •Synthesis of hard Ti/TiN bilayered coatings by r.f. magnetron sputtering.•Evaluation of tribological and corrosion properties of coated AISI 316L SS substrates.•Power and substrate temperature conditioned the final properties of Ti/TiN coatings.