Auger electron spectroscopy

Indentation hardness

Sputter deposition

Engineering

Metallurgy

Materials science

Carbide

Coating

Nuclear physics

Cemented carbide

Nanocomposite

Chemical engineering

Nanoindentation

Substrate (aquarium)

Geology

Oceanography

Physics

Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Microstructure

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Thin film

Plasma-immersion ion implantation

Composite material

Chemistry

Scanning electron microscope

Ion implantation

Tungsten carbide

Sputtering

Coatings

TiAlSiN coatings were deposited on YT 15 cemented carbide substrate by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) in a Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation and Deposition (PIII&amp;D) system. The pre-implantation step and the coating deposition were carried out in the same experimental facility. In this article the effects of pre-implantation of several different elements (N, C, and O) were investigated. The adhesion strength, hardness, micro-structure, element concentration, depth profile, and the formation of coatings after the PIII experiments were characterized by a wide variety of techniques such as Rockwell indentation, scratch test, nano-indentation measurement, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy. The results showed that the adhesive strength of TiAlSiN coatings was significantly improved on samples pre-implanted with N and O whereas only slightly improved with pre-implantation of C. Additionally, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the TiAlSiN coatings were also altered through pre-implantation. The improved adhesion could be explained by the grain refinement and surface energy enhancement of the substrate by pre-implantation.

Improved Adhesion of TiAlSiN Nanocomposite Coatings on Cemented Carbide Substrate by Pre-Implantation