Reactive DC magnetron sputtering of amorphous (Ti0.25B0.75)1−xSixNy thin films from TiB2 and Si targets

• (Ti0.25B0.75)1−xSixNy, 0≤x≤0.89, 0.9≤y≤1.25, thin films were reactively grown on Si(001) substrates by dc magnetron sputtering from compound TiB2 and elemental Si targets. The films can be grown in a fully electron-diffraction amorphous state with x>0.46, as evidenced by XRD and HR-TEM investigations. With x=0, BN form onion-like sheets surrounding TiNnanograins. Substrate temperatures, Ts=100-600 ◦C, has a minor effect of the film structure and properties, due to limited surface diffusion.Ion-assisted growth with substrate bias voltages, Vb, between -50 V and -200 V, favors densification of amorphous structures over nanocrystalline formation, and improves mechanical properties. A maximum hardness value of 26.8±0.7 GPa is found for an amorphous (Ti0.25B0.75)0.39Si0.61N1.15 film grown with substrate temperature Ts=400 °C and substrate bias voltage Vb=-100 V.

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