Direct Current Magnetron Sputtering Research Articles

TiO2:ZnO/CuO thin film solar cells prepared via reactive direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering

TiO2:ZnO/CuO thin-film solar cells are manufactured using reactive direct-current magnetron sputtering. For the first time, the TiO2:ZnO layers have been used as an emitter in TiO2:ZnO/CuO solar cells by self-produced Ti-ZnO targets. The structural and morphological characterization of the TiO2:ZnO/CuO solar cells was studied using physical methods of investigation: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. From the XRD study, thin films were observed in CuO, ZnO, TiO2 and Ti3O5 phases. Basic morphological characterizations like thickness, mechanism of growth, and average grain sizes were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy. The thicknesses of the TiO2:ZnO and CuO layers were in the range of 170 to 354 nm and from 508 to 1634 nm, respectively. Furthermore, average grain sizes of CuO layers were in the range of 40–150 nm. The I-V study confirms the photovoltaic behavior of TiO2:ZnO/CuO thin-film solar cells. The open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current density (Jsc) values of the photovoltaic devices ranged from 1.5 to 49.0 mV and from 0.45 to 7.26 µA/cm3, respectively. Additionally, the authors calculated and analyzed the values of Pmax, Isc, FF, Rs and Rsh. Finally, the optical properties of the thin film were studied. The total light transmission through the structure does not exceed 25% and the absorption coefficient below 600 nm is in the range 2 × 104–2 × 105 cm−1. The maximum reflectance value is observed in the UV-visible region and does not exceed 42%. The extinction coefficient varies between 0.1 and 0.9 depending on the wavelength and sample. The refractive index at 400 nm depends on the sample and is in the range of 1.7 to 4.5. The obtained values of the optical band gap for the investigated samples are 1.02 eV, 1.25 eV, 1.26 eV and 1.28 eV.

On the correlation between the TiN thin film properties and the energy flux of neutral sputtered atoms in direct current magnetron discharge

In this study, the energy flux of sputtered atoms on a substrate was correlated to the properties of titanium nitride (TiN) films deposited using direct current magnetron sputtering (dcMS) under mixed Ar and N2 atmospheres. The neutral titanium sputtered atoms velocity distribution functions (AVDFs) were measured by tunable diode-laser induced fluorescence (TD-LIF), and the flux of particles and their energy were derived. Mass spectrometry was used to characterize the energy-resolved flux of the ions. It was found that the neutral sputtered atoms flux and deposition rate were in good agreement, indicating that the flux of the neutral titanium ground state represents the number of deposited atoms. Moreover, TiN films were deposited at different gas pressures and at various Ar/N2 gas mixtures close to the conditions where stoichiometric TiN was formed, without bias voltage and heating of the substrates. The energy flux of the sputtered neutral Ti into the substrate was calculated from TD-LIF measurements. At a relatively low magnetron discharge pressure of 0.4 Pa, we demonstrated that the energy of sputtered neutral Ti impinging on the substrate is higher than the energy flux of ionized particles corresponding mainly to Ar+. Thus, the influence of the energy flux of the sputtered atoms on the texture and microstructure of the films is revealed. The (200) texture was obtained at 0.4 Pa when the energy flux of the sputtered atoms was higher than the ion energy flux. At 1.3 Pa where the sputtered atoms energy flux is one order lower compared to 0.4 Pa the (111) texture was obtained. The high-energy flux of the ground state of Ti sputtered atoms seems to allow stress removal in the films.

Vacuum Tribological Properties of W-S-N Coatings Synthesized by Direct Current Magnetron Sputtering

This work deals with the investigation of the tribological performance of DC magnetron sputtered W-S-N coatings under vacuum atmosphere, as part of the exploration of multi-environment sliding properties of W-S-N solid lubricants. This study is part of the systematic testing of W-S-N solid lubricants in different environments, especially vacuum, which is often ignored. The trend is to test sliding properties in dry N2 by considering it as replacement of vacuum environment testing. This approach is not appropriate. In this work, a set of coatings was synthesized with N-alloying content in the range of 0–25.5 at.%. A maximum S/W ratio of 1.47 was observed for the pure WSx coating. A maximum hardness of 8.0 GPa was observed for 23 at.% of N-alloying. The coating with the lowest N content (14.6 at.%) displayed the lowest friction, specific wear rate and wear scar depth under vacuum conditions. Despite superior sliding performance at room temperature (35% humidity), 200 °C and dry nitrogen conditions, the performance of the WSN12.5 coating deteriorated vacuum environment.

Achievement of 25.54% power conversion efficiency by optimization of current losses at the front side of silicon heterojunction solar cells

AbstractParasitic absorption in the front window layers of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films and carrier selective collection layers and the optical shading losses from the metallic finger grid mainly limit the current generation in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. In this work, we demonstrate an improved short‐circuit current density (Jsc) of 40.24 mA/cm2 through a combination of novel window layers composed of transition metal doped indium oxide (IMO) and hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon oxide (nc‐SiOx:H) films and Cu plating for SHJ solar cells. By introducing water vapor during direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering deposition process, IMO films show a large optical band gap (Eg) of about 3.88 eV and high mobility up to 83.2 cm2/V·s, while maintaining a low carrier concentration, which leads to high transparency and low near‐infrared (NIR) free carrier absorption (FCA). In addition to its high deposition rate and crystalline volume fraction, we found that nc‐SiOx:H films deposited by very high frequency (VHF) excited plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) show an excellent surface passivation quality, which not only improves the open circuit voltage (Voc) of SHJ cells but also increases the Jsc through improved carrier selective collection. The quantified Jsc breakdown analysis was performed to identify the room for improvement, and it showed that the front shading loss (about 1.32 mA/cm2) is the largest portion. By combining the benefits of these window layer enhancements with the further use of fine line width and conductivity of Cu plating, SHJ solar cells, with a Jsc improvement of 0.57 mA/cm2 and a certified efficiency of 25.54%, were achieved on a total area of 274.5 cm2 using in‐house pilot production line equipment.

Effect of Cr interlayers on texture and magnetic properties of FeSi films with micrometer thickness

Magnetised soft ferromagnetic films with micrometer thicknesses can be used as π-flippers in spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering instruments. An FeSi film with a total thickness of 2000 nm separated by Cr interlayers (each 10 nm thick) was fabricated using direct-current magnetron sputtering. The thickness of each FeSi layer was 100 nm between adjacent Cr interlayers. Hysteresis loop measurements were performed to characterise the magnetic properties of the FeSi films. X-ray diffraction measurements, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected-area electron diffraction were used to characterise the texture. Results demonstrated that the saturation magnetisation of the FeSi film separated by Cr interlayers was higher and its coercivity was lower than those of the FeSi film separated by Ta interlayers because of different texture of FeSi layer. The FeSi film separated by Cr interlayers featured FeSi (210) and FeSi (221), and the Cr interlayers presented Cr (110). The FeSi layer between the Cr interlayers demonstrated structural coherency with the upper FeSi layer, and continuity of the lattice fringes from the Cr grains to the FeSi layers was observed. Therefore, degradation in the soft magnetic properties of FeSi films can be prevented by the insertion of Cr interlayers.

Influence of FeCo layer thickness on the interfacial asymmetry of FeCo/Si multilayers fabricated by direct current magnetron sputtering.

FeCo/Si is a promising material combination for polarized neutron supermirrors because of its appropriate optical constants. Five FeCo/Si multilayers with monotonically increasing FeCo layer thicknesses were fabricated. Grazing incidence x-ray reflectometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were performed to characterize the interdiffusion and asymmetry of the interfaces. Selected area electron diffraction was used to determine the crystalline states of FeCo layers. It was found that the asymmetric interface diffusion layers existed in FeCo/Si multilayers. Furthermore, the FeCo layer started the transition from amorphous to crystalline when the thickness of the FeCo layer reached 4.0nm.

Influence mechanism of RF bias on microstructure and superconducting properties of sputtered niobium thin films

In this study, radio frequency (RF) biased direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering was used to simultaneously improve the surface roughness and superconducting properties of Nb thin films for Josephson circuits application. The surface roughness of the Nb films decreased with an increase in RF powers, whereas the transition temperature, transition width, and residual resistance ratio of the Nb film were optimum at an RF power of 20 W but will deteriorate at higher RF powers. The film resistivities at 10 K obviously increased when the RF power was increased to 40 W and 60 W, which indicates that electron-impurity scattering and scattering on lattice defects are severer in these Nb films. The microstructures, impurities (mainly Ar) and dislocation states were correlated with the electrical and superconducting properties of Nb films. In summary, an optimal process for depositing Nb films with simultaneously improved surface roughness and superconducting properties was found, the Nb film deposited at a DC power of 500 W and an RF bias power of 20 W with a substrate bias voltage of approximately −100 V had the best overall quality. The method is prospective to be applicated in multilayer superconducting electronic devices fabrication based on Nb and other superconductors.

Influence of HiPIMS pulse widths on the deposition behaviour and properties of CuAgZr compositionally graded films

In this work, the influence of different pulse widths (25, 50 and 100 μs) during high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of copper, silver and zirconium was investigated in terms of plasma properties and properties of combinatorial composition gradient CuAgZr film libraries. In situ plasma diagnostics via optical emission spectroscopy (OES), time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), and modified quartz crystal microbalance (m-QCM), followed by film ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations allowed to determine the effect of deposition parameters on the thin films' microstructural changes. Changing the pulse width, while keeping the duty cycle constant, modified the discharge composition in the target region and the ionised fraction of the sputtered species in the substrate region. The maximum Cu ionised fraction (19 %) was found for 50 μs, resulting in compact and smooth morphology for Cu-rich films, whereas short 25 μs pulses provided porous columnar films with rough surfaces, as the result from Ar+ bombardment. For Ag-rich films, Ag segregation allowed the deposition of dense layers, regardless of the used pulse width.Furthermore, low Ag (<10 at.%) CuAgZr films produced via HiPIMS and direct-current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) were compared in terms of structural and mechanical property changes as a function of Zr contents. For the studied chemical composition range, a linear relationship between Zr content, XRD phase shift and mechanical properties was observed for HiPIMS films, in contrast to DCMS's more abrupt transitions. An increase in hardness and elastic modulus (up to 44 % and 22 %, respectively) was found for the HiPIMS films compared to DCMS ones. The obtained results highlight HiPIMS's flexibility in providing a wide range of tailoring possibilities to meet specific application requirements, such as crystalline microstructure, density and associated mechanical properties.

Influence of Ar gas pressure on the structural and optical properties and surface topography of Al-doped ZnO thin films sputtered by DC-Magnetron sputtering method

In this work, Aluminum doped Zinc oxide thin films were sputtered on glass substrate by the direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering method. The influence of Ar gas pressure on the structural and optical properties was measured. The optical parameters were calculated by UV–Visible spectroscopy, the nature of transition reveals direct allowed transition for the prepared films. Also, some physical quantities such as the strength of electron–phonon interaction, dissipation factor (tanδ) in the visible region and the lattice dielectric constant were presented for these thin films. The AFM analysis extracts surface parameters of the AZO thin films that help us to quantitively investigate the surface analysis. The band gap energy and transition index without any presumption about transition natural were calculated from Derivation Ineffective Thickness Method (DITM) and it was found that the reaction of Ar gas pressure plays an essential part in controlling the physical quantities of AZO thin films.

Ni-Au layers on sapphire prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering

Thin bimetallic Ni-Au layers (∼100 nm) with three different Au content were prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering onto sapphire substrates. The elemental composition and the layer thickness of bimetallic layers were controlled during the sputtering process. The prepared Ni-Au layers were annealed at temperatures of 400°C and 900°C in the air to determine the behavior of Au and Ni in the layers after heating. The elemental composition and depth profiling was provided by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The surface morphology was examined via Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). RBS measurement revealed inter-diffusion Au into sapphire substrate after thermal annealing and the formation of grains and voids.

Multi-Function of the Ni Interlayer in the Design of a BiVO4-Based Photoanode for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

BiVO4 with an appropriate band structure is considered to be an ideal candidate for photoanodes. However, slow water oxidation kinetics and low charge separation efficiency seriously restrict its application. To address these issues, an NF/N/BVO photoanode with a hierarchical network structure was successfully constructed by direct-current magnetron sputtering of Ni followed by electrochemical deposition of nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) on BiVO4. A photocurrent density of 4.50 mA/cm2 was obtained for NF/N/BVO, which was 2.4 times that for pristine BiVO4. The introduction of the Ni layer contributed to the following growth of NiFe-LDH nanosheets with larger size, which acted as active sites and speeded up water oxidation kinetics. Furthermore, surface photovoltage microscopy revealed that Ni and NiFe-LDH acted as the electron collector and hole reservoir, respectively. The co-existence of the two components constituted a highly efficient surface charge separation structure, which was one of the important issues for the excellent water oxidation activity.

Self-standing CoFe embedded nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes with Pt deposition through direct current plasma magnetron sputtering for direct methanol fuel cells applications

Herein, ultra-low amount Pt is uniformly deposited on the surface of CoFe nanoparticles (NPs) embedded nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes which are grown directionally on the surface of carbon fiber cloth (Pt–CoFe@NCNT/CFC) using the direct current plasma magnetron sputtering (DC-PMS) technique. The designed electrode exhibits excellent trifunctional catalytic activities towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) (in 0.1 M KOH, E1/2 = 0.807 V; in 0.5 M H2SO4, E1/2 = 0.723 V), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) (in 1 M KOH, η10 = 17 mV and η100 = 93 mV; in 0.5 M H2SO4, η10 = 42 mV and η100 = 100.5 mV) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) (in 0.5 M H2SO4 + 0.5 M CH3OH, peak current density reaches 115 mA mg−1Pt@1.116 V). It is verified that the DC-PMS technique can greatly improve the utilization efficiency of Pt, so as to reduce the dosage of Pt, and shows better catalytic performance and excellent stability than the commercial Pt/C catalysts. The rich hierarchical heterostructures of the designed electrode can provide more non-noble metal active sites, so as to enhance the catalytic activity and further cut down the consumption of noble metals. Impressively, Pt–CoFe@NCNT/CFC electrode assembled direct methanol fuel cell achieved a remarkable maximum power density of 73.41 mW cm−2 and shows excellent stability.

Combinatorial sputter deposition of ultrathick Au-Bi alloy films

Gold-bismuth alloys are of interest as catalysts and catalytic sensing systems, electrochemical sensors, superconductors, and hohlraums for magnetically assisted inertial confinement fusion implosions. Radiation-hydrodynamics simulations with the Lasnex code of laser-driven hohlraums predict higher x-ray drive from Au-Bi alloys compared with cases of Au-Ta or pure Au and Bi hohlraums. Here, we use direct current magnetron sputtering in Ar gas, with co-sputtering from two elemental targets, to deposit Au-Bi alloys with Bi content of 9–77 at.% and thicknesses up to ∼20 µm. Films are characterized by a combination of x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering, scanning electron microscopy, substrate-curvature-based residual stress, and electronic transport measurements. Experiments are complemented by Monte Carlo simulations of ballistic sputtering and gas phase transport of depositing species and Ar gas atoms. Results show that all films are polycrystalline, with three distinct compositional regimes dominated by Au, Au2Bi, and Bi crystallographic phases. A metallic behavior of the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity is observed for all the films. Films with Bi content above ∼30 at.% exhibit porosity, which is tolerable to hohlraum x-ray drive based on Lasnex simulations.

Highly Sensitive, Robust, and Recyclable TiO2/AgNP Substrate for SERS Detection.

Label-free biosensors provide an important platform for detecting chemical and biological substances without needing extra labeling agents. Unlike surface-based techniques such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), interference, and ellipsometry, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) possesses the advantage of monitoring analytes both on surfaces and in solutions. Increasing the SERS enhancement is crucial to preparing high-quality substrates without quickly losing their stability, sensitivity, and repeatability. However, fabrication methods based on wet chemistry, nanoimprint lithography, spark discharge, and laser ablation have drawbacks of waste of time, complicated processes, or nonreproducibility in surface topography. This study reports the preparation of recyclable TiO2/Ag nanoparticle (AgNP) substrates by using simple arc ion plating and direct-current (dc) magnetron sputtering technologies. The deposited anatase-phased TiO2 ensured the photocatalytic degradation of analytes. By measuring the Raman spectra of rhodamine 6G (R6G) in titrated concentrations, a limit of detection (LOD) of 10−8 M and a SERS enhancement factor (EF) of 1.01 × 109 were attained. Self-cleaning was performed via UV irradiation, and recyclability was achieved after at least five cycles of detection and degradation. The proposed TiO2/AgNP substrates have the potential to serve as eco-friendly SERS enhancers for label-free detection of various chemical and biological substances.

High-performance multiple-doped In2O3 transparent conductive oxide films in near-infrared light region

High-quality W, Mo, Ti, Zr, and Ga-doped indium oxide (multiple-doped In2O3) films are deposited at room temperature by direct current magnetron sputtering process under different oxygen proportion, with 200 °C annealing. A maximum Hall mobility of 71.6 cm2 V−1 s−1 is obtained at a middle oxygen proportion of 2%, thanks to the reduction of impurity scattering center, which is nearly three times higher than an ITO film of 23.6 cm2 V−1 s−1. The multiple-doped In2O3 films showed a remarkable 30% improvement of the optical transmittance (&amp;gt;80%) in the near-infrared (NIR) region compared to the ITO film (about 60%), which is mainly attributed to the decrement of free carrier absorption due to low carrier concentration (&amp;lt;2 × 1020 cm−3), an order magnitude lower than the ITO film (1.56 × 1021 cm−3). Additionally, x-ray diffraction results confirm that the films have a polycrystalline structure with preferential orientation growth in the &amp;lt;100&amp;gt; direction. In the NIR region, the multiple-doped In2O3 films have a superior figure of merit of 5.02 × 10−3 Ω−1, which is an order magnitude higher than the ITO film (5.31 × 10−4 Ω−1). This work reports a new In2O3-based material with both high electrical and optical performance, which is suitable for the application of advanced optoelectronic devices.

Amorphous TiO2 film with fiber like structure: An ideal candidate for ETL of perovskite solar cells

• E T L A m o r p h o u s T i O 2 was prepared by DCP-MS at room temperature. • Lots fiber like structures run through the E T L A m o r p h o u s T i O 2 directly. • Fiber like structures in E T L A m o r p h o u s T i O 2 improves electron transfer efficiency. • PCE of PSCs improves from 4.7% of E T L A n a t a s e T i O 2 to 11.5% of E T L A m o r p h o u s T i O 2 . Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with planar heterojunction structures were fabricated. The amorphous and anatase TiO 2 electron transfer layer (ETL) was deposited by the direct current pulsed magnetron sputtering technology. With the ordinary CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 , PSCs with amorphous and anatase TiO 2 ETL showed the average power conversion efficiency in (11.5 ± 0.7)% and (4.7 ± 1.5)%, respectively. Combining with XRD and TEM results, the fiber like structure in amorphous TiO 2 ETL resulted in the increase of average power conversion efficiency of PSCs. Finally, amorphous TiO 2 with fiber like structure is an ideal ETL for PSCs, which is prepared by sputtering.

Effect of Ta Interlayers on Texture and Magnetic Properties of FeSi Films with Micrometer Thickness.

Magnetized soft ferromagnetic films with micrometer thickness were studied. A FeSi film, with a total thickness of 2000 nm, separated by 10 nm-thick Ta interlayers, was fabricated using the direct-current magnetron sputtering technique. The thickness of each FeSi layer between adjacent Ta layers was 100 nm. Hysteresis loop measurement was used to characterize the magnetic properties of the layer. X-ray diffraction patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize its texture. The experimental results showed that the FeSi film separated by Ta interlayers exhibited a lower saturation magnetization and a higher coercivity than those of the 1140 nm-thick FeSi film. The insertion of Ta interlayers resulted in the disappearance of the crystal plane of FeSi (221), and better texture of the crystal plane of FeSi (210). The FeSi film exhibited a crystal plane of FeSi (210) with a bcc crystalline structure. The Ta interlayers were partially amorphous, exhibiting crystal plane of Ta (002) and TaSi2 (310). The matching of magnetic properties between interlayers and soft magnetic layers played an important role in maintaining its soft magnetic properties.

Oxidation stability of chromium aluminum oxynitride hard coatings

Hard coatings like CrAlN deposited by physical vapor deposition are state of the art for wear and oxidation protection of cutting tools. Conducting direct current magnetron sputtering (dcMS)/High power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) hybrid processes combines the advantages of HPPMS, like denser structures and smoother surfaces, with the high deposition rates of dcMS. The current study aims to increase the aluminum content in the reaction layer of CrAlON coatings by incorporating oxygen in CrAlN and therefore achieve an enhanced oxidation stability. For this purpose, CrAlON coatings with different oxygen contents were deposited by dcMS/HPPMS hybrid processes. The morphology of the coatings was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The chemical composition of the bulk was measured by electron probe micro analysis and of the reaction layer by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The phase composition of the coatings was investigated by X-ray diffraction and the elastic-static properties by nanoindentation. Furthermore, the coated cemented carbide samples were heat treated at T = 900 °C and T = 1000 °C for t = 0.5 h in ambient atmosphere. A low oxygen content of x(O) = 6.9 at.% of the oxynitride coating increased the aluminum content of the reaction layer to x(Al) = 17.8 at.% compared to x(Al) = 8.5 at.% for the nitride coating and to x(Al) ≤ 9.6 at.% for the oxynitride coatings with higher oxygen contents of x(O) ≥ 18.2 at.%. As shown by XRD, this enhanced the oxidation stability of the coating with a low oxygen content of x(O) = 6.9 at.% from T = 900 °C to T ≥ 1000 °C for t = 0.5 h.

Growth of Thin AlN Films on Si Wafers by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering: Role of Processing Pressure, Magnetron Power and Nitrogen/Argon Gas Flow Ratio

AlN is a wide band gap semiconductor that is of growing industrial interest due to its piezoelectric properties, high breakdown voltage and thermal conductivity. Using magnetron sputtering to grow AlN thin films allows for high deposition rates and uniform coverage of large substrates. One can also produce films at low substrate temperatures, which is required for many production processes. However, current models are inadequate in predicting the resulting structure of a thin film when different sputter parameters are varied. In this work, the growth of wurtzite AlN thin films has been carried out on Si(111) substrates using reactive direct current magnetron sputtering. The influence of the processing pressure, magnetron power and N2/Ar ratio on the structure of the grown films has been analyzed by investigating crystallinity, residual film stress and surface morphology using X-ray diffraction, profilometry, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. In every case, the films were found to exhibit c-axis orientation and tensile stress. It was found that high-quality AlN films can be achieved at an N2/Ar ratio of 50% and a low pressure of 0.2 Pa. High magnetron powers (900–1200 W) were necessary for achieving high deposition rates, but they led to larger film stress.

Corrosion performance of TiAlVN-Ag nanocomposite coating deposited by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering

Surgical devices and tools are manufactured in AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel, due to its hardenability, adequate hardness and acceptable biocompatibility. Nevertheless, many surface modification strategies are being investigated with a view to improving this material by providing it with self-protection against the colonization of bacteria. One such strategy is the use of a TiAlVN-Ag nanocomposite coating to promote bactericidal effect in surgical devices; however, it is necessary to study the electrochemical response of such coatings to aggressive environments that simulate disinfection and sterilization processes. The aim of this work is to study the relationship between the microstructure, chemical phases and the electrochemical and corrosion response of TiAlVN-Ag coating, varying the amount of silver with the target power increase (0, 50, 70, 80 and 100 W). To study the microstructure, chemical phases, scanning and high resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used. Roughness, microhardness, residual stresses, qualitative adhesion of coatings were estimated by atomic force microscopy, Knoop indentation, profilometer and Rockwell C indentation, respectively. Electrochemical behavior and corrosion protection of coatings were studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization. TiAlVN-Ag 50W coating showed an improvement in electrochemical behavior and in protection of the steel against corrosion and exhibiting higher hardness than that of the AISI 420 stainless steel substrates. This coating exhibited a dense microstructure and high crystallinity, indicating that the low Ag content does not affect the insulating nature of the coating matrix.