© Copyright by International OCSCO World Press. All rights reserved. 2009 Short paper 87 VOLUME 37 ISSUE 1 November 2009 of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering Ion beam assisted deposition of Ti–Si–C thin films A. Twardowska a, *, B. Rajchel b , L. Jaworska a,c a Institute of Technology, Pedagogical University, ul. Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków, Poland b Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, Poland c Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, ul. Wrocławska 37A, 30-011 Kraków, Poland * Corresponding author: E-mail address: atwardow@ap.krakow.pl Received 22.09.2009; published in revised form 01.11.2009 Manufacturing and processing ABSTRACT Purpose: Deposition of hard thin multilayer coatings is a common practice in improving the performance of tools for many different applications. From this aspect Ti 3 SiC 2 , due to its lamellar structure and unique combination of properties is a potential interlayer material candidate for thermo-mechanical application. Design/methodology/approach: Multiphase Ti–Si–C thin films were deposited by the ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) technique from a single Ti 3 SiC 2 compound target on an AISI 316L steel substrate. To optimize the deposition process, Monte Carlo simulations were performed; the range of the deposition parameters was determined and then experimentally verified. Scanning and transmission electron microscopies were used to examine the microstructure and quality of the deposited films. Mechanical properties were determined by nanoindentation tests. Findings: The deposited film was flat, smooth and dense with small crystalline particles. The hardness H IT of coated substrates was in the range 2.7 to 5.3 GPa. The average calculated value reduced elastic modulus E IT for coated substrates was 160 GPa. The hardness and reduced elastic modulus for uncoated substrates were H IT = 4.4 GPa and E IT = 250 GPa, respectively. Practical implications: PVD techniques enable low substrate temperature deposition, preferred due to the thermal limitations of the metallic substrates commonly used in industrial applications. The aim of this work is low temperature deposition of Ti-Si-C film, from a single Ti 3 SiC 2 compound target, on 316L steel substrate, using the IBAD technique, known for excellent film connection to the substrate. Originality/value: Ion beam assisted deposition parameters were calculated and experimentally verified. Keywords: Ti–Si–C system; IBAD; Thin films; Nanoindentation Reference to this paper should be given in the following way: A. Twardowska, B. Rajchel, L. Jaworska, Ion beam assisted deposition of Ti–Si–C thin films, Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering 37/1 (2009) 87-90.