Structural and mechanical properties of tantalum thin films affected by nitrogen ion implantation

Tantalum bulk were implanted with nitrogen ions at different dose of 1 x 10(17) ions cm(2) to 10 x 10(17) ions/cm(2) and at a energy 30 keV. The implanted samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), microhardness testing, friction coefficient measurements and wear mechanism study. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were used to analyze the friction of samples. The XRD results confirmed that the increasing dose affects the formation of the TaN phase. Based on AFM images, the morphology and surface roughness change proportionally to grain size after implantation. It was found that hardness increases as energy increases. From the friction coefficient measurement, this coefficient decreases as energy increases. For the un-implanted sample, the wear mechanism has abrasion, and with increasing the energy, it shifts to being flake and sticky.