Patterns of the Formation of Transition Metal Diboride Superhard Coatings

An analysis of the effect of magnetron sputtering parameters on the formation of structure and properties of transition metals diboride films was carried out. It was shown that main contribution in the energetic of deposition process is made by substrate temperature, substrate bias and ion current density on substrate. All these parameters are significantly depended on constructional features of a magnetron sputtering system. Depending on these parameters different structural states of transition metals diboride films from amorphouslike to nanocrystallite with growth texture normal to (00.1) plane are formed. Strongly-textured diboride coatings are superhard and overstoichiometric relative to boron.