The stainless steel vacuum chambers of the 248 m accumulator ring of the Spallation Neutron Source are to be coated with similar to100 nm of titanium nitride (TiN). This is to minimize the secondary electron yield from the chamber wall, and thus avoid the so-called e-p instability caused by electron multipacting as observed in a few high-intensity proton storage rings. Reports in the literature suggest that a TiN coating, by acting as a hydrogen permeation barrier, may also reduce the ultimate outgassing rate. The outgassing rate of TiN coated chambers deposited at various sputtering pressures was measured and compared to uncoated chambers, both with and without 250 degreesC in situ bake. Some coated chambers were subjected to glow discharge treatment (GDT). It was found that the surface roughness, analyzed with a scanning electron microscope, depends on the deposition pressure and is also influenced by GDT. The outgassing rate varies as a function of the surface roughness of the TiN layer, with rougher coatings more hydroscopic in nature. The in situ postbake outgassing rate was reduced similar to30% for a chamber coated with TiN at low pressure and subsequently subjected to GDT, thus giving evidence that the TiN layer acts as a permeation barrier to hydrogen diffusion. It was also found that a 450 degreesC vacuum degas reduced the hydrogen outgassing rate one order of magnitude, although the amount of reduction does not agree with the value predicted by standard diffusion equations. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.