MACROPARTICLES ON TIN FILMS PREPARED BY THE ARC ION PLATING PROCESS

In this study, thin films of titanium nitride were prepared by the arc ion plating process and deposited onto polished WC-Co substrates to investigate macroparticles (MPs), morphology and surface roughness. The deposition variables explored were arc current, deposition time, substrate distance, nitrogen pressure, substrate bias, target thickness and electromagnetic coil current of the target. The results show that the number of MPs and their area ratio vary directly with arc current, deposition time and target thickness, inversely with substrate distance, substrate bias and nitrogen pressure. Positive relationships exist between the deposition rate and the number of MPs, and between the deposition rate and the surface roughness.