Structure and Mechanical Properties of Nanolayered Ti-B/C Films

Nanolayered Ti-B/C films are deposited by sequential DC magnetron sputtering of TiB2 and graphite targets. The Si(100) platelets preliminarily heated to 400 degrees C are used as substrates to which negative bias voltage of 50 V is applied. The operating parameters remain unchanged for the TiB2 target, whereas the sputtering current is varied within 50-200 mA for the graphite target. The structure, chemical bonding, Knoop hardness, and friction coefficient as functions of the sputtering current (I-s) at the graphite target are studied by the methods of XRD, XPS, indentation, and tribological testing. The crystalline phase is detected in the films structure, which differs from that for TiB2. The film deposited at CYRILLIC CAPITAL LETTER BYELORUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN I-s = 150 mA exhibits the maximum hardness, and the film deposited at CYRILLIC CAPITAL LETTER BYELORUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN I-s = 200 mA has the minimum friction coefficient.