Microstructure of Physical Vapour Deposited Ti-Si-N Coatings

The influence of Si on the microstrucure of Ti-Si-N coatings was studied, since it controls the mechanical properties of the coatings. At low Si-contents columnar {111}-textured TiN grains form. Increasin the Si-content to >4at% causes a transition to equiaxed {200}-textured TiN grains. The equiaxed TiN grains reveal grain diameters of ∼6 nm for coatings containing 11 at% Si.