Titanium dioxide thin films were prepared using two types of magnetron sputtering processes: conventional and with modulated plasma. The films were deposited on SiO₂ and Si substrates. X-ray diffraction measurements of prepared coatings revealed that the films prepared using both methods were nanocrystalline. However, the coatings deposited using conventional magnetron sputtering had anatase structure, while application of sputtering with modulated plasma made possible to obtain films with rutile phase. Investigations performed with the aid of scanning electron microscope showed significant difference in the surface morphology as well as the microstructure at the thin film cross-sections. The mechanical properties of the obtained coatings were determined on the basis of nanoindentation and abrasion resistance tests. The hardness was much higher for the films with the rutile structure, while the scratch resistance was similar in both cases. Optical properties were evaluated on the basis of transmittance measurements and showed that both coatings were well transparent in a visible wavelength range. Refractive index and extinction coefficient were higher for TiO₂ with rutile structure.

The purpose of this study is to examine the microstructure and micromechanical properties of pulsed-laser irradiated stainless steel. The laser marking was conducted for AISI 304 and AISI 316 stainless steel samples through a Nd:YAG (1064 nm) laser. The influence of process parameters such as the pulse repetition rate and scanning speed have been considered. The microstructures of obtained samples were analyzed using confocal optical microscopy (COM). The continuous stiffness measurements (CSM) technique was applied for nanoindentional hardness and elastic modulus determination. The phase compositions of obtained specimens were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that surface roughness is directly related to overlapping distance and the energy provided by a single pulse. The hardness of irradiated samples changes significantly with the indentation depth. The instrumental hardness H_IT and elastic modulus E_IT drop sharply with the rise of the indentation depth. Thus, the hardness enhancement can be observed as the indentation depth varies between 100–1000 nm for all exanimated samples. The maximum values of H_IT and E_IT were evaluated for the region of small depths (100–200 nm). The XRD results reveal the presence of iron and chromium oxides due to irradiation, which indicates a surface hardening effect.

The aim of the present paper has been to verify the effectiveness and usefulness of a novel deposition process named GIMS (Gas Injection Magnetron Sputtering) used for the flrst time for deposition of Ti/TiO₂ coatings on large area glass Substrates covered in the condition of industrial scale production. The Ti/TiO₂ coatings were deposited in an industrial System utilizing a set of linear magnetrons with the length of 2400 mm each for covering the 2000 × 3000 mm glasses. Taking into account the speciflc course of the GIMS (multipoint gas injection along the magnetron length) and the scale of the industrial facility, the optical coating uniformity was the most important goal to check. The experiments on Ti/TiO₂ coatings deposited by the use of GIMS were conducted on Substrates in the form of glass plates located at the key points along the magnetrons and intentionally non-heated during any stage of the process. Measurements of the coatings properties showed that the thickness and optical uniformity of the 150 nm thick coatings deposited by GIMS in the industrial facility (the thickness differences on the large plates with 2000 mm width did not exceed 20 nm) is fully acceptable form the point of view of expected applications e.g. for architectural glazing.