Effects of High-Voltage Potential Bias in Pulsed Form on the Structure and Mechanical Characteristics of Multilayer and Multielement Coatings Obtained by Vacuum Arc Evaporation

Abstract

The effect of high-voltage potential bias in a pulsed form on the phase composition, structure, substructure and mechanical characteristics of multilayer and multi-element (based on high-entropy alloy) coatings is studied. It has been established that the pulsed form of supplying high-voltage potential leads to a combination of relaxation processes with the formation of structural imperfections. This leads to the fact that the use of Uip contributes to a more uniform growth morphology in the coating volume. Also, supplying a high-voltage (1200 … 2000) V pulsed potential during the deposition of a ZrN/TiN multilayer coating is accompanied by a near-surface cascade with the formation of a radiation-stimulated crystallite growth texture with the axis [110] with the smallest Ub = −30 V or lack of texture at Ub = −70 V. The formation of a bittexture state in coatings based on multi-element (high-entropy) alloys under the combined action of Ub and Uip is based on two mechanisms of the formation of preferred oriented crystallites: (1) growth texture under the action of constant potential ([100] or [111] depending on value of Ub); (2) [110] texture which is determined by the radiation-stimulated effect when bombarded with high-energy ions and the formation of bias cascades.