The influence of ion implantation on the properties of titanium nitride layer deposited by magnetron sputtering

A new deposition method, by combining standard magnetron sputtering and ion implantation, has been developed. Some characteristics of the layers produced by this method have been investigated in comparison with the standard TiN coating obtained by conventional magnetron sputtering. The new coatings have a hardness of ∼5000 HV0.04, a thickness up 15 μm and a structure close to Ti2N. The width of the layer–substrate interface is significantly larger than usual and this ensures very good adhesion.