Nitrides thermally activated chemical vapor

The carbides and nitrides of vanadium and titanium crystallize in the same face centered cubic (fee) system, and because of the closeness of their cell parameters (Table 15.1) form solid solutions. These ceramic materials exhibit interesting mechanical, thermal, chemical and conductive properties.1,2 Their high melting point, hardness and wide range of composition have therefore attracted considerable attention in the last decade. Moreover, their good abrasion resistance and low friction also make these ceramics attractive for protective coating applications.3-5 Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a commonly used technique for the production of such materials. In the conventional thermally activated process, a mixture of gases is used.6-9 In the case of TiC, TiN, VC and VN, this mixture is... 

In a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, a substrate is exposed to one or more volatile precursors whose atoms or molecules react and/or decompose on the substrate surface, typically using hydrogen in a thermal activation to produce the required deposition. Compounds, such as oxides and nitrides, are produced in reaction with the plasma gas species, usually at lower temperature. A plasma polymerization can occur on a surface when a precursor vapor is not completely decomposed within the plasma. 

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