Industrial application of WC-Ti(1-x)AlxN nanocomposite films synthesized by cathodic arc ion plating process on a printed circuit board drill

New WC-Ti(1-x)AlxN nanocomposite films were synthesized on Si wafer WC-Co substrate by cathodic arc ion plating. A rotating substrate holder operated at 6 rev./min was used to obtain a layered structure, and the arc power density of Al cathodes was controlled for the change of Al concentration (x) in the film. For the evaluation of crystal structure and compounds formation behavior, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) analyses were performed. The microhardness of WC-Ti(1-x)AlxN films was measured at a normal load of 30 mN by a nano-indentation instrument. WC-Ti0.43Al0.57N nanocomposite film that revealed the highest hardness and good adhesion strength were applied to a printed circuit board (PCB) drill for the evaluation of the drill's lifetime. As a result of adapting a PCB drill coated with WC-Ti0.43Al0.57N film, the lifetime of the PCB drill was improved by more than two times than that of the ordinary one. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.