Effects of Substrate Rotation Speed on Structure and Adhesion Properties of CrN/CrAlSiN Multilayer Coatings Prepared Using High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

We investigated the effects of substrate rotation speed on the structural and mechanical properties of CrN/CrAlSiN multilayer coatings produced using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) on silicon and high-speed steel (HSS) substrates. Structural analysis and characterization of the multilayer coatings were performed using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The thickness of the bi-layer film depended on the substrate rotation speed, as follows: 12 (1.5 rpm), 9.5 (2 rpm), 6 (3 rpm), 4 (4 rpm), and 3.2 nm (5 rpm). The results revealed that the hardness and coating–substrate adhesion strength increased inversely with the thickness of the bi-layer. TEM analysis revealed smaller columnar structures in thinner CrN/CrAlSiN multilayer coatings. The highest results for hardness (20.1 GPa), elastic modulus (336 GPa), and adhesion strength (77 N) were obtained at a substrate rotation speed of 5 rpm. We also investigated the adhesion properties of the multilayer structures and formulated a hypothesis to explain adhesion strength.

Comparison of properties of multilayer film sputtered on glass and polypropylene substrates with angular DC magnetron Co-sputtering system

“…Specifically, reducing the substrate rotation speed leads to an increase in the thickness and roughness of the sputtered films on both substrates. This observation aligns with the findings [ 27 ] that reported a correlation between substrate rotation speed and film thickness. The study was noted that a lower speed of 1.5 rpm resulted in a film thickness of 12 nm, whereas a higher speed of 5 rpm led to a reduced thickness of only 3.2 nm.…”

Improved Reversibility of Thin-Film Solid Oxide Cells at 500 °C by Tailoring Sputtering Processes for Depositing Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Electrolyte

“…SRS also impacts grain size. , Sputtered atoms adsorbed on the surface of deposited thin films diffuse, forming larger grains by gathering and merging . Higher substrate rotation speeds impede this phenomenon by reducing the adatom energy, resulting in smaller grains due to lower diffusion strength.…”

“…Substrate rotation speed in the sputtering process is revealed to affect film hardness, adhesion strength, and residual stress . Higher rotation speeds enhance hardness and adhesion while reducing residual stress by minimizing collisions of sputtered high-energy ions with films. , Recent studies demonstrated significant improvements in nanostructured Ni anode connectivity and GDC interlayer films in SOFC by adjusting rotation speed and target-substrate configuration. , …”

Quo Vadis: AlCr-Based Coatings in Industrial Applications

“…Additionally, more than one element was added, e.g., Y and O [138]. Multilayer architectures were built using CrAlSiN and AlCrSiN combined, for example, with Si-free AlCrN layers [139], with AlSiN [140], or with coatings containing Si, such as Cr-doped AlSiN [127], with MoN, NbN [139], or with CrN [141], and others.…”