Investigation of mechanical morphological structural and electrochemical properties of PVD TiAlN coating: A detail experimental and its correlation with an analytical approach using the least square method

Abstract

In this experimental investigation, a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) process was employed to deposit TiAlN coating onto a Si substrate. The nitrogen flow rate, bias voltage, and substrate-to-target distance were selected as input parameters, each with three different levels. The design of these input parameters was structured according to Taguchi's L9 Orthogonal Array (OA). Following deposition, the mechanical, microstructural, structural, and electrochemical properties of the TiAlN coating were meticulously characterized and analyzed to discern the influence of the selected parameters on its various properties. Microstructural analysis revealed a homogeneous structure throughout the film. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the film exhibited notable performance under the specified parameters. However, it was observed that no consistent trend could be identified across different properties concerning the applied parameters. To elucidate the complex relationships among these variables, the Least Squares Method (LSM) regression analysis technique was employed. This analytical approach facilitated the establishment of correlations among the diverse parameters, enhancing the understanding of their collective impact on the TiAlN coating properties. The understanding of analytical results will be useful for predicting the values between the two extremities to measure the performance parameters where the experimental results are not available.