Abstract
TiN films with the (111) and (200) preferred orientations were formed on Si (100) and sapphire (0001) substrates by ion-beam-assisted deposition. The difference in the mechanical properties between the (111) and (200) preferred orientation in TiN thin films was clarified by the nano-indentation technique with the trigonal diamond tip. The experiments revealed significant differences in hardness H and modulus E* irrespective of the substrate materials. The measured values were H=16GPa, E*=316GPa for the (200) preferred orientation and H=9GPa, E*=192GPa for the (111) preferred orientation. The behavior of the plastic deformation in the TiN films was estimated by the cross-sectional SEM observation and the TEM analysis. These microstructural analyses showed significant difference in cross-sectional views of the plastic deformation and the intergranular fracture mechanism.
