Oxidation behavior of Ta-Si-N coatings

Abstract

Ta-Si-N coatings with a Si content of 19-21 at.% were fabricated through reactive direct current magnetron cosputtering; the sputter power was set at 100 W for each target, and the coatings were X-ray amorphous in the as-deposited state. The N contents of the Ta-Si-N coatings increased from 31 to 47 at.% as the N-2/(N-2 + Ar) flow ratio was increased from 0.1 to 0.4; additionally, nanoindentation hardness decreased from 20 to 14 GPa, and the Young's modulus decreased from 220 to 196 GPa. The oxidation resistance of the Ta-Si-N coatings was evaluated through annealing at 600 degrees C and 800 degrees C in ambient air, which revealed notable oxidation resistance related to the TaN coatings. The oxidation behavior of the X-ray amorphous Ta-Si-N coatings was examined through transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.