Effects of bias voltage and substrate temperature on the mechanical properties and oxidation behavior of CrSiN films

Abstract

Nanocomposite CrSiN films with a Si content of 14 at.% were fabricated through reactive direct current magnetron cosputtering. The Si content was determined based on the superior mechanical properties and oxidation resistance for CrSiN films reported in a previous study. Substrate bias voltage (Vb) and temperature (Ts) were the process variables for sputtering CrSiN films. The results indicated that the chemical composition (Cr34–37Si14N49–52) and crystalline phase (CrN) of CrSiN films were not affected by Vb or Ts. The application of Vb and Ts significantly increased the hardness of the films from 13.4 to 22.2 GPa, and Young's modulus increased from 223 to 299 GPa. The oxidation behavior of the films annealed at 800 °C in ambient air was identical, which was accompanied by the formation of an amorphous oxide layer and extruded Cr2O3 precipitations.