Design and performance of the microdroplet filtering system used in cathodic arc coating deposition

The paper presents construction of a very simple and effective microdroplet filtering system. It describes the spatial angular distribution of different fractions of microdroplets generated by the cathode spots of the vacuum-arc evaporator equipped with the microdroplet filter and without it. The system was applied for TiN coating deposition. The influence of the filtering system on the TiN deposition process parameters is shown. Some properties of the TiN coatings (morphology, roughness, hardness and Young's modulus of elasticity, chemical composition and their adhesion to the steel substrate), deposited with the use of this filtering system, are pointed out.