Effect of Deposition Modes on Micromechanical Properties of Nanostructured TiAlSiN and TiAlSiCN Coatings

Abstract

Nanostructured nitride TiAlSiN and carbonitride TiAlSiCN coatings were formed by reactive magnetron sputtering on various types of substrates. Elemental composition was studied by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) as well as structure by X-ray diffraction and micromechanical properties by nanoindentation. It was found that the formed coatings have a single-phase structure, which is a disordered solid solution with a face-centered cubic lattice. It was detected that a decrease in the degree of reactivity α from α = 0.605 to α = 0.421 leads to an increase in the deposition rate of nitride TiAlSiN and carbonitride TiAlSiСN coatings on silicon substrates by 200–300%. The hardness of the formed coatings varies in the range H = 28.74–48.99 GPa and Young’s modulus is E = 324.97–506.12 GPa. TiAlSiN and TiAlSiCN coatings demonstrate high indices of impact strength H/E * = 0.07–0.12 and resistance to plastic deformation H³/E *² = 0.13–0.72. The micromechanical properties of the formed nanostructured nitride and carbonitride coatings TiAlSiN and TiAlSiCN are promising for use in space technologies.