Secondary-neutral and secondary-ion mass spectrometry analysis of TiN-based hard coatings: an assessment of quantification procedures

✍ Scribed by W. Bock; H. Gnaser; H. Oechsner

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 746 KB
• Volume: 297
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-2670
• DOI: 10.1016/0003-2670(93)e0626-i

✦ Synopsis

Secondary-neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) utilizing electron-gas post-ionization and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) monitoring MCs + ion species (M stands for a sample component) were used to characterize TiN-based film structures, namely TiCN and TAN/TIN. It is shown that for both techniques a quantitative evaluation of the depth-dependent composition is possible employing relative sensitivity factors. While the latter were derived from various standard materials, the corresponding factor for C/N could be determined from a correlation of the respective intensities in the TiCN specimen and rendered a standard superfluous for those elements; this approach was found to work for both SNMS and SIMS. The sample compositions determined by these techniques exhibit generally a good agreement with respect to the absolute concentration values and their depth dependence; a possible exception is the Ti/N ratio in the TiAlN sample which appears larger in SNMS than in SIMS. The general concepts of quantification using relative sensitivity factors and their transferability among different specimens are discussed.