Effect of aluminum plasma parameters on the physical properties of Ti-Al-N thin films deposited by reactive crossed beam pulsed laser deposition

This work reports on the preparation and characterization of Ti-Al-N thin films deposited by reactive crossed beam pulsed laser deposition (RCBPLD). The elemental composition, vibrational properties and hardness of the deposited films were investigated as a function of the plasma parameters, that is, the Al+ mean kinetic energy and plasma density. The composition of the thin films was determined from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements as well as by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). The structural modifications of the deposited materials due to Al incorporation were characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The hardness of the deposited films was determined by nanoindentation. It was found that by using this experimental configuration the aluminum content in the deposited films was incorporated in a controlled way, from 2.2 to 31.7 at.% (XPS measurements), by varying the Al+ mean kinetic energy and the plasma density. Raman results suggest that at low aluminum concentrations a solid solution of Ti(Al, N) is produced, whereas at higher aluminum concentrations a nanocomposite formed of TiAlN and AlN is obtained. Ti-Al-N films with hardnesses up to 28.8 GPa, which are suitable for many mechanical applications, were obtained. These results show that the properties of the deposited material are controlled, at least partially, by the aluminum plasma parameters used for thin film growth. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.