Application of inductively coupled plasma to super-hard and decorative coatings

An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assisted technique is expected to be the next generation deposition technique due to its many beneficial properties. In this paper, an internal type r.f. ICP process is presented. The core of this technology is the efficient production and control of self-depositing ions and reactive gas ions by an induced electric field. The properties of the immersed ICP can be tuned between the capacitively coupled and inductively coupled state by changing the antenna materials, the tuning network design, the driving frequency and the external magnetic field. Examples of applications of ICP to super-hard and decorative TiN and CrN coatings, which were produced by ICP magnetron sputtering and ICP evaporation, respectively, are presented.