AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Advanced Surface Engineering Thursday Sessions
       Session SE1-ThM

Paper SE1-ThM3
Optimization of Adhesion Promoting Substrate Pre-Treatment using Metal Ions of a High Power Impulse Magnetron Discharge

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 8:40 am, Room 2007

Session: Pulsed Plasmas in Surface Engineering
Presenter: M. Lattemann, Linköping University, Sweden
Authors: M. Lattemann, Linköping University, Sweden
U. Helmersson, Linköping University, Sweden
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A high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) plasma consists of a high amount of single- and double-ionized metal species identified by mass spectrometry. The resulting high metal ion-to-neutral flux on the substrate can be used for sufficient substrate surface cleaning and modification by applying a negative substrate bias U@sub b@ enhancing the adhesion of industrial-relevant coatings. The HIPIMS pre-treatment was carried out in an inert gas atmosphere at a low pressure of p@sub Ar@=1 mTorr to minimize the inert gas incorporation. The subsequently grown metal nitride coating (CrN, TiN, TiAlN) was deposited in an Ar/N@sub 2@ atmosphere using conventional dc magnetron sputtering. The microstructure and constitution of the interfacial region for different process parameters (substrate bias U@sub b@=0 - 1200 V, substrate temperature T@sub s@=RT - 450°C) was investigated employing Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Analytical Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (A-STEM), respectively. The critical load of failure values were determined in scratch tests (CSEM Revetest). The influence of the process parameters on the constitution and microstructure of the interfacial region after the pretreatment and its effect on the coating adhesion will be discussed.