Microstructure and mechanical/thermal properties of Cr–N coatings deposited by reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering

Chromium nitride (CrN) is a hard material and a well-established coating for applications where severe corrosion and friction conditions are present. In this work, we report on the influence of nitrogen/argon flow rate ratio, ion energy and ion/atom flux ratio on the microstructure, hardness, residual stresses and thermal stability of magnetron sputtered chromium nitride coatings. The coatings were characterized with respect to thickness, morphology, chemical composition, microstructure and hardness. Hardness values up to 38.4 GPa could be obtained for stoichiometric CrN, which strongly depend on the grain size and residual stress. Thermal coating properties were evaluated using stress measurements during thermal cycling and XRD analyses after annealing at 500 and 700°C. Film stresses up to 700°C were measured from the bending of coated silicon specimens using the Stoney formula. Stress relaxation occurring during this temperature treatment strongly depends on the biaxial stresses in the as-deposited state. The interrelationships between growth conditions, microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties will be presented and discussed.