Titanium nitride plates (TiN x, x = 0.74-1.0, about 2 mm thick maximum) were prepared by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using TiCI 4, NH a and H 2 as source gases. The effects of CVD conditions, i.e. gas molar ratio (mN/r~ = NH3/TiCI4) and deposition temperature (T~ep), on deposition rates and surface morphology were examined, and the deposition mechanism of the CVD-TiN X plates was discussed. The relationship between mN/T= and deposition rates showed a maximum peak at certain mN/Ti, and this maximum peak shifted to lower mN/Ti with increasing Taep. The activation energy for the formation of CVD-TiN X plates was about 80 kJ mo1-1 in the lower temperature range. The decomposition reaction of NH z gas could be associated with the rate-controlling step. At higher temperatures, the diffusion process may be the rate-controlling step, and a large amount of powder (mainly NH4CI ) was formed in the gas phase. The highest deposition rate obtained in the present work was 1.06 x 10 -7 ms -1 (0.38 mm h -1) at Tde p = 1773 K and mN/Ti = 0.87.
IntroductionTitanium nitride (TiNx) film is widely used as a coating for tools owing to its erosion/corrosion resistance and good compatibility with metals, and as decorative coatings owing to its colour similar to gold [1].There are several methods, such as sputtering, ionplating and chemical vapour deposition (CVD), for the preparation of TiN, films. CVD is advantageous to obtain high-purity and high-density films at high deposition rates. The CVD conditions, such as deposition temperature, source gas ratio, gas flow rate and total gas pressure, should be optimized for the highest deposition rates.TiCI 4 is commonly used as the titanium source, and either NH 3 or N z gas may be chosen as the nitrogen source for preparing TiNx by CVD. The TiC14 + N 2 system has been employed in many reports [2-7-1, because NH 3 gas was thought to be too active to control the CVD process.We have prepared CVD-TiN~ plates whose composition (x = N/Ti) ranged between 0.74 and 1.0 by using the TIC14 + NH 3 system [8]. In the present work, the effects of CVD conditions on deposition rates and surface morphology were investigated, and the optimum conditions for the highest deposition rate were obtained. The deposition mechanism of the CVD-TiNx plates was also discussed.