TRANSPORT AND CONFINEMENT OF SILICON IN Ti-Si-N COATINGS IN THE COURSE OF VACUUM-ARC DEPOSITION

On an example of the titanium-silicon composites (the silicon content in the cathode of 4 ... 5 wt.%) features of cathodic material components transport to the coatings, deposited by a vacuum-arc method in presence of nitrogen, were studied. Evolution of properties of the coatings (microhardness, element and phase structures) with change of the gas pressure in reaction area was studied. Nonmonotonic character of dependences of the silicon content in the coating on the gas pressure with a minimum in region of 10(-3) Torr is revealed. The hypothetical mechanism of formation of such dependence is described.