Nanograined Titanium Nitride Thin Films

Thin films of titanium nitride are widely used as hard protective coatings and as corrosion-resistant coatings. By filtered arc-evaporation physical vapor deposition (PVD), high-quality nanostructured films of titanium nitride (TiN) can be obtained. These nanograined films are reported to have an excellent surface roughness and higher hardness and fracture toughness than conventionally deposited coarse-grained TiN films. These improved properties result in the high performance of nanograined TiN films as wear-resistant coatings for high-speed steel and cemented carbide cutting tools.