Deposition of CrN–MoS2 thin films by D.C. magnetron sputtering

As technology advances, there is a demand for development of hard, solid lubricant coatings. CrN–MoS2 films were deposited on SKD 11 tool steel by co-deposition of MoS2 with CrN using a D.C. magnetron sputtering process. The influence of the Cr interlayer thickness, the N2/Ar inlet gas ratio, the deposition temperature, the amount of MoS2 in the film, and the bias voltage on the mechanical and the structural properties of the films were investigated. The critical load increased with the increase of the Cr interlayer thickness. The hardness of the film increased with the decrease of nitrogen content in the gas and with the increase of the deposition temperature. The films show less crystallinity with the increase of the MoS2 content in the films. The hardness of the film reached maximum level at the negative substrate bias potential of −100 V and decreased with a further increase of the bias potential. The thickness of the film remained the same with the increase of the bias voltage.