Nanoscale architecture of ZrN/CrN coatings: Microstructure, composition, mechanical properties and electrochemical behavior

Chromium nitride coatings were prepared by reactive DC-superimposed high-power-impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) system. The influence of substrate bias on the microstructure and mechanical properties of CrN coatings was investigated. XRD and cross-sectional SEM were utilized to characterize the film structures. Mechanical properties were characterized by nanoindentation and Vickers indentation test. The results revealed that the microstructure and mechanical properties of CrN coatings were affected by bias voltage. The CrN coatings exhibited dense and fine columnar grain structure with the hardness of about 18.7 GPa. The fracture toughness of CrN coatings was around 3.16 MPa ⋅ m[Formula: see text]. However, further increase of the bias voltage from −250 V to −300 V led to the degradation of coating properties.

Download Full-text

Structural and Mechanical Properties of Multilayer TiN/CrN Coatings

Volume 3: Design and Manufacturing ◽

10.1115/imece2007-43114 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Manohar S. Konchady ◽

Sergey Yarmolenko ◽

Devdas M. Pai ◽

Jag Sankar

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Layer Thickness ◽

Single Layer ◽

Preferred Orientation ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Deposition Parameters ◽

Unbalanced Magnetron ◽

Crn Coatings ◽

Modulation Wavelength

Multilayer and superlattice coatings of TiN/CrN coating are deposited on Si(100) substrate at different modulation wavelength by reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering and characterized using X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, AFM. Nano-roughness of films is in good correlation with hardness and modulus and this effect has been used for optimization of deposition parameters. Preliminary results have shown slightly better mechanical properties for multilayered TiN/CrN coatings compared to single layer TiN and CrN coatings. The XRD results have shown a preferred orientation in <100> direction for TiN/CrN multilayer coatings at modulation wavelengths below 80 nm. At 100 nm layer thickness, TiN revealed small amount of crystals with <111> orientation and their content significantly increases with increase in layer thickness while CrN layers only show preferred orientation of <100>. Multilayered coatings exhibit better mechanical properties due to presence of large number of interfaces which act as barrier to dislocations. Fracture toughness and tribological properties of these coatings are also expected to show significant improvement and the investigation in this area is under progress.

Download Full-text

The mechanical properties evaluation of the CrN coatings deposited by the pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering

Surface and Coatings Technology ◽

10.1016/j.surfcoat.2005.07.047 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 200 (10) ◽

pp. 3330-3335 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Jyh-Wei Lee ◽

Shih-Kang Tien ◽

Yu-Chu Kuo ◽

Chih-Ming Chen

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Reactive Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Reactive Magnetron ◽

Pulsed Dc ◽

Dc Reactive Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Crn Coatings

Download Full-text

Effect of Temperature on Structure and Mechanical Properties of CrN Coatings Deposited by Closed Field Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.591.190 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 591 ◽

pp. 190-193

Author(s):

Hao Zhang ◽

Shu Wang Duo ◽

Xiang Min Xu ◽

Ting Zhi Liu

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Grain Shape ◽

Effect Of Temperature ◽

Closed Field ◽

Columnar Crystal ◽

Crn Coating ◽

Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering ◽

Unbalanced Magnetron ◽

Crn Coatings

CrN coatings were fabricated by Closed Filed Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering (CFUMS). The effect of substrate temperature (TS) on phase components, morphologies and mechanical properties of CrN coatings were studied. The results show that the phase in coatings, which has little to do with TS, was the coexistence of Cr, Cr2N and CrN. The grain shape of the columnar crystal CrN coating was the coexistence of pyramidal and plane topography. The hardness and adhension of CrN coating first increased with the rise of temperature, then decreased when the values of both them were constant ones. It has the highest hardness and bonding strength simultaneously at 300°C.

Download Full-text

Effect of the Cr content on the mechanical properties of nanostructured TiN/CrN coatings

Surface and Coatings Technology ◽

10.1016/j.surfcoat.2003.09.020 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 177-178 ◽

pp. 426-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Sang Yul Lee ◽

Gwang Seok Kim ◽

Jun Hee Hahn

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Cr Content ◽

Crn Coatings

Download Full-text

Influence of substrate rotation speed on the structure and mechanical properties of AlTiN/CrN coatings

Surface and Coatings Technology ◽

10.1016/j.surfcoat.2012.05.141 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 228 ◽

pp. S228-S232 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

C.X. Tian ◽

B. Yang ◽

S.J. Yan ◽

Z.H. Lu ◽

Z.H. Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Rotation Speed ◽

Substrate Rotation ◽

Influence Of Substrate ◽

Crn Coatings

Download Full-text

Effect of Pulsing Configuration and Magnetic Balance Degree on Mechanical Properties of CrN Coatings Deposited by Bipolar-HiPIMS onto Floating Substrate

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings11121526 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 1526

Author(s):

Vasile Tiron ◽

Mihai Alexandru Ciolan ◽

Georgiana Bulai ◽

Daniel Cristea ◽

Ioana-Laura Velicu

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Xrd Analysis ◽

Type I ◽

Ion Energy ◽

Insulating Films ◽

First Case ◽

Unbalanced Magnetron ◽

Hardness Values ◽

Crn Coatings ◽

Magnetic Balance

Despite its great potential for thin films deposition and technological applications, the HiPIMS technology has its own limitations including the control of ion energy and flux towards the substrate when coping with the deposition of electrical insulating films and/or the deposition onto insulating/electrically grounded substrates. The bipolar-HiPIMS has been recently developed as a strategy to accelerate the plasma ions towards a growing film maintained at ground potential. In this work, the benefits of bipolar-HiPIMS deposition onto floating or nonconductive substrates are explored. The effect of bipolar-HIPIMS pulsing configuration, magnetic balance-unbalance degree, and substrate’s condition on plasma characteristics, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties of CrN coatings was investigated. During the deposition with a balanced magnetron configuration, a significant ion bombardment effect was detected when short negative pulses and relative long positive pulses were used. XRD analysis and AFM observations revealed significant microstructural changes by increasing the positive pulse duration, which results in an increase in hardness from 7.3 to 16.2 GPa, during deposition on grounded substrates, and from 4.9 to 9.4 GPa during the deposition on floating substrates. The discrepancies between the hardness values of the films deposited on floating substrates and those of the films deposited on grounded substrates become smaller/larger when a type I/type II unbalanced magnetron configuration is used. Their hardness ratio was found to be 0.887, in the first case, and 0.393, in the second one. Advanced application-tailored coatings can be deposited onto floating substrates by using the bipolar-HiPIMS technology if short negative pulses, relative long positive pulses together with type I unbalanced magnetron are concomitantly used.

Download Full-text