The Effect of Al Target Current on the Microstructure and Properties of TiAlN Film

TiAlN films were deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering method on cemented carbide YG6 substrates. Effect of Al target current on the phase, surface topography and micro-hardness was investigated with XRD, SEM, micro-hardness instruments and so on. The XRD patterns of the films confirmed the formation of Ti₃AlN phase and AlN phase, and the coatings showed a fairly strong (220) preferred orientation. The SEM imagines revealed that the grain structure of the films became denser with the increase in Al target current. The average micro-hardness value reached 2 980HV.