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Transmission electron microscopy microstructural characterization of Ti–Si–C–N coatings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Yan Guo ,
Shengli Ma ,
Kewei Xu ,
Tom Bell ,
Xiaoying Li  and
Hanshan Dong
Yan Guo
Affiliation:
International Surface Engineering Research & Development Centre, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Shengli Ma
Affiliation:
International Surface Engineering Research & Development Centre, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Kewei Xu
Affiliation:
International Surface Engineering Research & Development Centre, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Tom Bell
Affiliation:
International Surface Engineering Research & Development Centre, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China; and Department of Metallurgy and Materials, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
Xiaoying Li
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgy and Materials, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
Hanshan Dong*
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgy and Materials, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
*
a)Address correspondence to this author. e-mail: h.dong.20@bham.ac.uk
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Abstract

A new type of Ti–Si–C–N coatings deposited on high-speed steel substrate by means of pulsed direct current (dc) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition was investigated. The as-deposited coatings were characterized systematically by using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and microhardness with particular attention paid to the microstructure of the coatings. It has been shown that C content has a profound effect on the microstructure and hardness of coatings. TEM and XRD analyses revealed that these coatings consist of the dominate Ti(C, N) with a silicide (TiSi2, Si3N4, or SiC, depending on the C content in the coatings). The crystallite sizes are in the range of 8–35 nm, which decrease with increasing C content. The Ti–Si–C–N coatings with high C content (25.2–38.6 at.%) possess superhardness (41–48 GPa). This can be attributed to the grain refinement/grain boundary hardening and dispersion hardening of the hard, nanosized crystalline Si3N4 or SiC formed in the deposition.

Keywords

CoatingPlasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , January 2008 , pp. 198 - 203
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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References

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