Influence of pulsed-substrate bias duty cycle on the microstructure and defects of cathodic arc-deposited Ti1-xAlxN coatings

The influence of pulsed substrate bias duty cycle on the growth, microstructure, and defects Ti1-xAlxN coatings grown by cathodic arc deposition was investigated. varying compositions (x = 0.56, 0.38, 0.23) were deposited cemented carbide substrates with 10, 25, 50, 95% cycles −50 V pulsed-bias under 10 Pa pure N2 gas. Coatings at low (10 25%) showed strongly textured, under-dense facetted columns amount lattice defects. Applying higher (50 95%) produced that have denser microstructures, less preferred orientation, increasing compressive stresses increased defect densities. Our study elucidates how variation not only changes overall average energy supplied growth front but also kinetically influences coating thus microstructure structure.