Abstract
Recently, research has been conducted on nanocomposite thin films containing new additive elements in ZrN. In this paper, a method for depositing ZrCuSiN nanocomposite coatings using a ZrCuSi single target is presented. The ZrCuSi target that was used to easily deposit a ZrCuSiN coating in a mixed gas atmosphere (Ar + N2) was produced by a simple arc melting method (casting process). The effect of the nitrogen content was investigated by depositing a ZrCuSiN coating using alloy targets at various nitrogen gas flow rates (2, 4, 6, and 8 sccm). X-ray diffraction analysis of the ZrCuSiN coatings revealed a ZrN structure with a preferable orientation (200). As the nitrogen flow rate increased, the formation of o-Zr3N4 was dominant in the ZrN formation. A nitrogen gas flow rate of 4 sccm produced a coating with optimal ZrN and a-Si3N4 coordination and maximum hardness (41 GPa). Reciprocal friction tests of all coatings and uncoated carburized SCM415 steel in a 5W30 lubrication atmosphere demonstrated that the 4 sccm coating had the lowest friction coefficient (0.002). Therefore, our method has the potential to be an alternative surface coating technique for materials used in automotive engine parts and various other wear protection applications.
Highlights
The hardness and abrasion resistance of transition metal nitride films, hard coatings including TiN, CrN, and ZrN, have been widely investigated [1,2,3]
The homogeneous composition of the alloy target was transferred to the coating
41 GPa, and minimum friction coefficient of 0.002 at 4 sccm nitrogen gas flow rate. This was regarded as the optimal ZrCuSiN coating in this study
Summary
The hardness and abrasion resistance of transition metal nitride films, hard coatings including TiN, CrN, and ZrN, have been widely investigated [1,2,3]. ZrN coatings tend to be favored over TiN coatings in industrial applications due to their superior mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The nanocrystalline composites of ZrN with added elements have gained attention from researchers for the development of ZrN coatings with improved properties. ZrCuN- and ZrSiN-based coatings have been of particular interest [4,5,6,7]. The ZrCuN coating has an nc-ZrN/Cu structure consisting of a hard and soft phase. The Cu content in the ZrCuN coating is essential to form a hard film. When the composition of Cu at the ZrCu target is
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