Effect of Magnetron Sputtering Deposition Conditions on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Wear-Resistant Titanium Carbonitride Coatings

Abstract

In the present work, the titanium carbonitride coatings were deposited by the reactive magnetron sputtering method at different substrate bias: 0, −70 V, and −100 V. The effect of the substrate bias on the structure, composition, and mechanical and tribological properties of titanium carbonitride coatings was studied. Scanning electron microscopy, nanoindentation, sliding wear test (ball-on-disk method), X-ray phase, and elemental analysis methods were used to evaluate the tribological properties and microstructure of the thin coatings. The dependencies obtained resulted in the determination of the most preferred mode of deposition by magnetron sputtering at a negative substrate bias in an atmosphere of argon–acetylene–nitrogen.