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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Advice for a small sputtering unit for TiN wanted

I would like to sputter TiN coatings on a special carbide tool we use for difficult jobs. I need a only a few cutters a day and they are rather small. Can someone suggest a "lab scale" set-up that might work for us? Maybe we will have to build it ourselves.

I have seen very small units for electron microscopes, but they are a little too small, I think. Any help would be appreciated.

J W Box
Machine shop owner - Coral Gables, Florida, USA
2004

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There's a lot that goes into creating a good TiN coating, all which leads to pretty high capital costs regardless of the size of the system. For a small number of tools I suggest you seriously consider sending them out for coating.

Jim Treglio - scwineryreview.com
PVD Consultant & Wine Lover - San Diego,
California
2004

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It is possible to do small-scale TiN, but as has been pointed out, the very high adhesion requirement for tool bits requires some sophistication. Best process is called "cathodic arc" with both elevated temperature and workpiece bias. If my company built a one-off, relatively simple tool for a small load, it would cost about $100k. The oddest one we did was for a fellow who wanted iridescent coatings on rocks...quartz crystals for jewelry, but the performance requirements for a New Age crystal are minimal, so we built him two large machines using, effectively, ion-plating with thermal resistance evaporation sources.

Richard Stein
- South Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
2005