Research on the color principle of TiN films prepared by magnetron sputtering process

Huiqiang Wang, Yanqiu Xing, We

Abstract

TiN film deposited by mid frequency reactive magnetron sputtering process on aluminium alloys surface, which can improved the color of aluminium alloys. Use International Commission on Illumination(CIE) 1976(L*、a*、b*) to calibrate the film color, and use the photoelectric spectrocolorimeter of CM-2600d to research the influence of nitrogen flow rate, sputtering time to the film color. The results show that, TiN thin film color will be change from light yellow, yellow, golden yellow to deep yellow with the nitrogen flow rate and the sputtering time increased. When the nitrogen flow rate reach 18sccm and the sputtering time reach 15min,the color parameter will be L*= 83,a*= 2,b*= 30. At this point, the film thickness is 70nm, TiN thin films have golden yellow color, which have the excellent mechanical characteristic.