Investigation of the Effect of Different Nitrogen Flow Rates on the Structural and Tribological Properties of Tiwsin Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

TiWSiN thin films were deposited using the magnetron sputtering method at different nitrogen flow rates. The thicknesses of the films, measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were 1.71 µm and 1.39 µm. An increase in nitrogen flow resulted in a noticeable reduction in film thickness. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of only TiN crystals in different angles and planes. The atomic ratios of Ti, W, Si, and N elements forming the chemical composition of the films were determined using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Microhardness measurements were performed to determine the hardness values of TiWSiN thin films. The highest hardness value of 6.8 GPa was measured in the N-40 film. The presence of the predominant TiN (111) phase in the film’s microstructure has contributed to the increased hardness in the N-40 film. The tribological tests of TiWSiN thin films were investigated using a wear testing device and a 3D profilometer. The wear rates were calculated as 1.81×10-5 mm3/(N·m) for N-40 and 9.98×10-5 mm3/(N·m) for N-50. The results revealed that the wear resistance of the N-40 film, deposited at 4 sccm nitrogen flow, was approximately 5.5 times higher than that of N-50. Tribotest results showed that the wear depth profile of N-40 remained intact on the substrate. These findings indicate that the N-40 film exhibits better tribological performance. Consequently, it has been determined that the control of nitrogen flow rate directly affects the performance of TiWSiN thin films. © 2025, Gumushane University. All rights reserved.