Layer Formation by Resputtering in Ti-Si-C Hard Coatings during Large Scale Cathodic Arc Deposition

• This paper presents the physical mechanism behind the phenomenon of self-layering in thin films made by industrial scale cathodic arc deposition systems using compound cathodes and rotating substrate fixture. For Ti-Si-C films, electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry reveals a trapezoid modulation in Si content in the substrate normal direction, with a period of 4 to 23 nm dependent on cathode configuration. This is caused by preferential resputtering of Si by the energetic deposition flux incident at high incidence angles when the substrates are facing away from the cathodes. The Ti-rich sub-layers exhibit TiC grains with size up to 5 nm, while layers with high Si-content are less crystalline. The nanoindentation hardness of the films increases with decreasing layer thickness.

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