Effect of HPPMS Pulse-Frequency on Plasma Discharge and Deposited AlTiN Coating Properties

<div>Cross-sectional SEM images of AlTiN coatings deposited at 100 Hz on 100Cr6-steel substrate (a) and silicon substrate (b) with film thickness <svg height="9.49473pt" id="M20" style="vertical-align:-0.2063999pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 49.7848 9.49473" width="49.7848pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M499 88L487 113C459 86 422 65 413 65C403 65 403 74 409 98L461 318C487 426 460 448 431 448C408 448 383 441 352 424C305 398 223 344 157 257H155L243 674C249 702 249 712 240 712C227 712 170 680 87 673L82 648H117C155 648 162 644 150 590L23 -4L30 -12C55 -4 81 3 105 8C113 53 131 150 143 187C199 281 323 387 372 387C390 387 393 369 380 311L328 86C313 19 319 -12 347 -12C379 -12 442 24 499 88Z" id="g113-105"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,10.34,0)"><path d="M535 323V373H52V323H535ZM535 138V188H52V138H535Z" id="g117-34"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,21.603,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.843,0)"><path d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z" id="g113-47"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,30.807,0)"><path d="M285 378C315 398 338 416 353 432C373 451 384 474 384 503C384 579 325 635 236 635H235C182 635 136 610 108 579L65 516L85 496C110 533 150 575 205 575C258 575 300 543 300 481C300 407 232 369 141 339L147 310C163 315 188 321 211 321C268 321 338 284 338 192C338 94 288 40 217 40C160 40 119 68 93 91C85 98 77 97 69 91C60 84 47 71 46 58C44 46 48 35 62 22C75 10 116 -12 162 -12C234 -12 424 62 424 224C424 297 373 359 285 376V378Z" id="g113-52"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,37.047,0)"><path d="M137 343C167 482 260 545 321 574C357 591 397 603 429 609L423 641C382 634 335 622 295 608C189 570 37 457 37 238C37 84 125 -12 242 -12C362 -12 447 89 447 209C447 311 374 393 267 393C247 393 226 386 204 376L137 343ZM227 337C318 337 361 256 361 173C361 105 336 22 258 22C176 22 126 120 126 240C126 266 127 291 132 310C155 323 189 337 227 337Z" id="g113-55"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,43.288,0)"><path d="M137 343C167 482 260 545 321 574C357 591 397 603 429 609L423 641C382 634 335 622 295 608C189 570 37 457 37 238C37 84 125 -12 242 -12C362 -12 447 89 447 209C447 311 374 393 267 393C247 393 226 386 204 376L137 343ZM227 337C318 337 361 256 361 173C361 105 336 22 258 22C176 22 126 120 126 240C126 266 127 291 132 310C155 323 189 337 227 337Z" id="g113-55"></path></g></svg> <i>μ</i>m.</div>

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

fig7

Figure 7

Figure 7: Effect of HPPMS Pulse-Frequency on Plasma Discharge and Deposited AlTiN Coating Properties 