Properties of Zr–Si–N coatings prepared by RF reactive sputtering

The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of Si addition on the structure and properties of Zr–N thin films. Zr–Si–N thin films were synthesized on stainless steel, silicon wafer and platinum substrates by RF reactive sputtering in a facing target-type sputtering machine (FTS). The structure of the thin films was studied by XRD and TEM, and the surface morphology was investigated by SEM. The hardness of the thin films was studied in detail using a nano-indentation system. A study of mechanical and oxidation resistance has provided the following conclusions: (i) with increasing Si concentration, the hardness of ZrSiN films increased initially, attaining a maximum hardness of 25 GPa at 5% Si, and then decreased gradually to 10 GPa at 15% Si; (ii) the oxidation resistance improved with increasing Si content, and reached the highest resistance at 10% Si; and (iii) ZrSiN film, by the addition of Si, exhibited a homogeneous fine structure.