TiAlBN nanocomposite coating have been successfully deposited on AISI 316 substrate via RF magnetron sputtering by varying nitrogen-to-total flow ratio (RN) of 5, 15, 20, 25%, as well as varying substrate temperature of 100, 200, 300, and 400 oC; using single Ti-Al-BN hot-pressed target. Chemical compositions of the coatings were analysed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS results showed that the TiAlBN nanocomposite coating reaches a nitride saturated state at higher RN(e.g 15, 20, and 25%) and boron concentration was found to be approximately 9 at.%. However, as the concentration of nitrogen decreases at lower RN(5%), boron concentration was found to increase to 16.17 at. %.This is due to the increase of TiB2phase in the coating. Variations of substrate temperatures were found to give no significant effect on the chemical composition of the deposited TiAlBN nanocomposite coating.

A nanocomposite TiAlBN (n-TiAlBN) coating has been successfully deposited via RF magnetron sputtering by varying the nitrogen-to-total gas flow ratio (RN) at a substrate temperature of 300 °C. The coating was deposited on AISI 316 substrates using a single Ti-Al-BN hot-pressed target. The crystal phases, grain size and chemical composition of the coatings were measured using the glancing angle X-ray diffraction analysis (GAXRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The grains size of the n-TiAlBN coating was found to be within the range of 3.5 to 5.7 nm calculated using Scherrer’s formula. The n-TiAlBN coating reached a nitride saturated state at a higher RN (e.g >15%) with the amount of boron concentration to be around 9 at. %. Further, reducing the RN (e.g. 5%) has increased the boron concentration to 16.17 at. %. This paper shows that by carefully control the nitrogen-to-total gas flow ratio (RN) in the n-TiAlBN coating, it indeed gives a significant effect on its crystallographic structure, grain size, and chemical compositions.

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