Abstract
We have carried out detailed studies of the processing, structure, and properties of certain polycrystalline superlattice coatings, including TiN/NbN, TiN/VN, TiN/Ni, and TiN/NiCr, which were produced using an opposed, dual-cathode, high-rate, reactive, unbalanced-magnetron sputtering system. The coatings exhibited hardness values as high as 5200 kgf/mm[sup 2] for TiN/NbN, 5100 for TiN/VN, 3500 for TiN/Ni, and 3200 for TiN/NiCr. These hardness values are all twice higher than their corresponding rule-of-mixture hardness values. The structure and properties of the coatings are a strong function of superlattice period, partial pressure of N[sub 2], and energy and flux of ion bombardment during deposition. Possible mechanisms for hardness enhancement in the polycrystalline superlattice appear to be a result of dislocation blocking due to coherency strains, difference in dislocation line energies between layers, and small grain sizes. In response to high interest shown by industry, BIRL formed a 2-year Industrial Group Program, currently with 12 members, to transfer the superlattice coating technology.
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