Ion-energy-driven low-temperature growth of Ti3SiC2 MAX coatings by reactive cathodic arc evaporation

Ti-Si-C MAX phases uniquely combine metallic and ceramic properties; however, their conventional direct-current magnetron sputtering synthesis requires high growth temperatures (> 750 °C), strict epitaxy (TiC(111) seed layer as MAX(001) template) and low deposition rates (≈ 3 nm/min), all of which hinder its practical application. By employing industrial-scale reactive compound-target cathodic arc evaporation (r-CAE) – a PVD technique capable of substantial ion-energy-driven non-equilibrium heating during film growth – this study aims to overcome these limitations. Through systematic variation of process parameters and comprehensive coating characterization, the arrival rate of film-forming species and the ion energies of incident species emerge as key factors for low-temperature, metastable Ti-Si-C MAX phase growth. Excessively high deposition rates bury subsurface species before Ti 3 SiC 2 bonding rearrangements occur, favoring amorphous or equilibrium phases, whereas elevated substrate bias produces excessive ion energies that induce damage and amorphization. Consequently, a low-temperature MAX phase process window can be defined, governed by low substrate bias (limiting ion energy), moderate arc current (controlling arrival rate), balanced reactive gas flow (approaching a M:A:X ratio of 3:1:2) and sufficient substrate heating (overcoming diffusion barriers). Within this window, r-CAE produces substrate-independent, defect-tolerant, fiber-textured Ti 3 SiC 2 ⟨110⟩ coatings at growth temperatures down to 450 °C and at deposition rates up to 170 nm/min. These significant process advances bring Ti 3 SiC 2 coatings within reach for industrial deployment across a broad range of multifunctional applications.