Effect of Microstructure on Corrosion Behavior of TiN Hard Coatings Produced by Two Grid-Attached Magnetron Sputtering

The introduction of two-grid inside a conventional process system produces a reactive coating deposition and increases metal ion ratio in the plasma, resulting in denser and smoother films. The corrosion behaviors of TiN coatings were investigated by electrochemical methods, such as potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in deaerated 3.5% NaCl solution. Electrochemical tests were used to evaluate the effect of microstructure on the corrosion behavior of TiN coatings exposed to a corrosive environment. The crystal structure of the coatings was examined by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and the microstructure of the coatings was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). In the potentiodynamic polarization test and EIS measurement, the corrosion current density of TiN deposited by two grid-attached magnetron sputtering was lower than TiN deposited by conventional magnetron type and also presented higher Rct values during 240 h immersion time. It is attributed to the formation of a dense microstructure, which promotes the compactness of coatings and yields lower porosity.