High-Throughput Screening of Optimal Process Parameters for PVD TiN Coatings With Best Properties Through a Combination of 3-D Quantitative Phase-Field Simulation and Hierarchical Multi-Objective Optimization Strategy

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is one of the most important techniques for coating fabrication. With the traditional trial-and-error approach, it is labor-intensive and challenging to determine the optimal process parameters for PVD coatings with best properties. A combination of three-dimensional (3-D) quantitative phase-field simulation and a hierarchical multi-objective optimization strategy was, therefore, developed to perform high-throughput screening of the optimal process parameters for PVD coatings and successfully applied to technically important TiN coatings. Large amounts of 3-D phase-field simulations of TiN coating growth during the PVD process were first carried out to acquire the parametric relation among the model parameters, microstructures, and various coating properties. Experimental data were then used to validate the numerical simulation results and reveal the correlation between model parameters and process parameters. After that, a hierarchical multi-objective method was proposed for the design of multiple coating properties based on the quantitative phase-field simulations and key experimental data. Marginal utility was subsequently examined based on the identification of the Pareto fronts in terms of various combinations of objectives. The windows for the best TiN coating properties were, therefore, filtered with respect to the model/process parameters in a hierarchical manner. Finally, the consistent optimal design result was found against the experimental results.