Sputtering parameters effect on microstructural parameters of TiN coating via the Williamson-Hall analysis

Abstract Titanium nitride (TiN) coatings were deposited on Zr-4 substrate by direct current magnetron sputtering. The microstructural property of the as-deposited coating was studied by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructural parameters, such as crystal size, lattice strain, lattice deformation stress and lattice deformation energy density, were investigated in detail by employed modified Debye–Scherrer method (MDS) and Williamson-Hall methods by assuming three models namely uniform deformation model, uniform stress deformation model and uniform energy density deformation model. And the effects of sputtering power, substrate temperature and substrate bias on microstructural parameters were investigated. The results show that TiN coating deposited by magnetron sputtering presents lattice compressive strain, except for sample X3 - 1 which is prepared by substrate bias of −50 V. It is also shown that sputtering power, substrate temperature and substrate bias have great influence on crystal size, lattice strain, lattice deformation stress and lattice deformation energy density of the as-deposited TiN coating. Especially the influence of substrate bias is very significant.