R.F. magnetron sputtering of multilayered c-BN films on cemented carbide tool

A c-BN thin film was deposited using a B4C target in a r.f. magnetron sputtering system. The c-BN layer was coated with a TiAIN adhesion layer (approximately 2 microm), boron carbide (approximately 1 microm) and BCN (10 approximately 15 nm) nano-gradient layer system. The c-BN layers with thicknesses of more than 0.5 microm were successfully deposited onto cemented carbide substrates. The high resolution XPS spectra analysis of B1s and N1s revealed that the c-BN film was mainly composed of sp3 BN bonds.