Investigation of structure and phase formation in multilayer coatings and their thermal stability

Abstract

Abstract Multilayer coatings were deposited on carbide cutting inserts with an Arc-PVD method using a cathodic vacuum arc evaporation apparatus equipped with three disposed flat arc cathodes (Ti–Al, Zr–Nb and Cr). The samples were obtained under different deposition conditions: an arc current at the Zr–Nb cathode, a rotation speed of the samples coated relative to evaporated cathodes and a substrate bias. The mechanism of formation of the structure and phases in the material of the Ti–Al–N/Zr–Nb–N/Cr–N coating are established depending on the parameters of cathodic vacuum arc ion-plasma evaporation. It is established that the introduction of an additional Zr–N-based barrier layer to a multilayer nanostructure between the mutually soluble Ti–Al–N and Cr–N layers results in the enhancement of its thermal stability. The coatings are characterized by high hardness, Young’s modulus and the work of plastic deformation.