Deposition of titanium carbide films from mixed carbon and titanium plasma streams

Dual source metal plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition was used to deposit TixCy films over a wide range of Ti:C composition. This technique is well adapted for this purpose and allows one to tailor the microstructure and properties of the films. We investigated the variation of the composition, bonding states, and structure as functions of the deposition conditions. Excess carbon and contamination oxygen are incorporated in the TiC lattice interstitially and substitutionally, respectively. The wear mechanism of a stoichiometric TiC film was investigated and compared to that of a diamondlike carbon film. TiC fails by wear and microcrack propagation. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.