Evaluation of Sputtered Mo–Cu–Cr–N Coatings Prepared at Different N2 Gas Flow Rates Using a Multicomponent Single-Alloy Target

Soobyn Kim,Hyun Jun Park,Caroline Sunyong Lee,Hae Won Yoon,Ki Won An,Kyoung Il Moon

doi:10.3390/coatings12030371

Abstract

With the growth of the automobile, machinery, and aerospace industries, demand for high-performance surface coatings having multifunctional characteristics for use in mechanical parts is increasing. In this study, ternary/quaternary Mo–Cu–Cr–(N) nanocomposite coatings were deposited at different N2 gas flow rates using direct current magnetron sputtering from a multicomponent single-alloy target. The use of a single-alloy target simplifies the deposition process and improves the coating uniformity. The influence of the nitrogen content was investigated regarding the microstructural, mechanical, and tribological properties, and corrosion resistance of these coatings. The Mo–Cu–Cr–N coating containing 30.5 at.% nitrogen showed a nanocomposite structure comprising transition metal nitride phases (Mo–N/Cr–N) having high mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, while retaining the excellent tribological properties of ternary Mo–Cu–N coatings.

Highlights

The microstructures and morphologies of the Mo–Cu–Cr-(N) coatings deposited at various nitrogen flow rates (0–18 sccm) were confirmed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and X-ray diffractometry (XRD)
Mo–Cu–Cr–N coatings were fabricated through a sputtering process using multicomponent single-alloy targets at different nitrogen gas flow rates
SEM and XRD analyses revealed that the coatings prepared at low nitrogen flow rates

Summary

Introduction

Academic Editor: Andreas RosenkranzReceived: 31 January 2022Accepted: 7 March 2022Published: 10 March 2022Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).Transition metal nitride coatings, such as Ti–N, Cr–N, and Mo–N, are deposited on the surface of base materials to improve the properties and durability of mechanical parts [1–3]. Among them, Mo–N-based coatings have useful characteristics, such as low friction coefficients, high hardness values, and excellent wear resistance. In addition, Mo–

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Conclusion