Chromium-carbon films were deposited by utilizing reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering at different mixture ratios of ethyne and argon atmosphere, and different substrate bias voltages and deposition temperature, with the same pulse frequency, duty cycle, and average power. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the obtained films were compared. The films consist of amorphous or nanocrystalline chromium carbide, hydrogenated amorphous carbon, and minor α-chromium phase. Decreasing the fraction of ethyne increases the content of the α-chromium phase but decreases hydrogenated amorphous carbon phase. The film’s hardness increases by enhancing the negative substrate bias and raising the deposition temperature, which could be attributed to the increase of film density and the Hall–Petch strengthening effect induced by the nanoscale crystallization of the amorphous carbide phase.
Reactive High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering of Chromium-Carbon Films