Thermal stability of TiN thin films investigated by DTG/DTA

The paper demonstrates the scope of the differential thermal analysis coupled with the thermal gravimetry as an express method for estimation of thin film protecting ability and oxidation kinetics. Oxidation of an iron foil protected by the PVD titanium nitride thin film coating was investigated as well as non-isothermal oxidation of PVD thin films of TiN (two types of the preparation procedure), (Ti,Nb)N and (Ti,Al)N isolated from a substrate by dissolving them in an acid. Additions of aluminium and niobium are expected to improve chemical, thermal and biomedical properties of thin films for their technical application. It was established that the addition of niobium decreases, whereas the addition of aluminium not only increases the thermal stability of TIN coatings, but also changes the oxidation mechanism. It was demonstrated that the TIN film oxidation is a many-staged process depending on the heating rate. An opportunity of a quite: formal treatment for getting Kissinger's estimation of kinetics parameters of different oxidation stages is also demonstrated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.