Secondary-neutral and secondary-ion mass spectrometry analysis of TiN-based hard coatings: an assessment of quantification procedures

Secondary-neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) utilizing electron-gas post-ionization and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) monitoring MCs+ ion species (M stands for a sample component) were used to characterize TiN-based film structures, namely TiCN and TiAlN/TiN. It is shown that for both techniques a quantitative evaluation of the depth-dependent composition is possible employing relative sensitivity factors. While the latter were derived from various standard materials, the corresponding factor for C/N could be determined from a correlation of the respective intensities in the TiCN specimen and rendered a standard superfluous for those elements; this approach was found to work for both SNMS and SIMS. The sample compositions determined by these techniques exhibit generally a good agreement with respect to the absolute concentration values and their depth dependence; a possible exception is the Ti/N ratio in the TiAlN sample which appears larger in SNMS than in SIMS. The general concepts of quantification using relative sensitivity factors and their transferability among different specimens are discussed.