Interface description using computational methods and tribological characteristic of Ti N/Ti C films prepared by reactive pulse arc evaporation technique

The Ti N/Ti C bilayers have been deposited by Plasma Assisted Physical Vapor Deposition Technique - Reactive Pulsed Arc. The coatings were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XP S) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). From the signal treatment of the narrow XP S spectra and the XRD diffraction patterns, the formation of Ti N (titanium nitride), Ti C (titanium carbide) and Ti CN (titanium carbonitride) was confirmed, with fm-3m spatial group, corresponding to the Fcc phase of the synthesized compounds. The multilayer was simulated using Density Functional Theory (DFT) by the Unrestricted Hartree Fock method. Charge distributions and electron total density were obtained; finding bond formation at the interphase, electrical neutrality and system stability. Anomalies in the corners of the structures due to edge effect, simulation ideality and the no internal tension inclusion, intrinsic to the growing, are observed. The ball on disc tribometer was used to measure the friction and wear coefficient to verify the interface formation. (Author)