Hardness Of Films Research Articles

Investigation of Effects of Electroplating Conditions on TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofiber Composited Nickel Electroplated Films

The effects of plating conditions on nickel (Ni) electroplated films composited with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized CNFs (CNFs) were investigated. Plating experiments were performed by varying the amount of CNFs added to the Watt's bath, the current density, and the stirring speed. The plated film obtained at 3 g/L, 2.5 A/cm2, and 300 rpm of them respectively, reached an average 483 HV of the surface hardness, which was the highest in this study. The surface hardness of the conventional Ni film without CNFs plated under the same conditions was an average of 239 HV, and the hardness improvement effect was more than twice as high. The hardness improvement effect due to dispersion enhancement tended to increase as more CNFs were more finely and densely composited into the Ni film, although different trends were observed when the current density was varied.

Composition-Tunable Properties of Cu(Ag) Alloy for Hybrid Bonding Applications

In the present study, the properties of Cu(Ag) alloy films were studied to evaluate their potential use as an alternate material for interconnection in hybrid bonding. Thin alloy films of Cu(Ag) were deposited by pulsed electrochemical deposition (PED) using a sulfuric acid-based bath, rotating disk electrode, and hot entry. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to measure the silver content of the films, with us finding that it decreases with increasing duty cycle. Thereafter, bright field scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) imaging in combination with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to visualize the thin film microstructure and to confirm the uniform distribution of silver throughout the film, with no bands being seen despite the pulsed nature of the deposition. Film resistance was measured by a four-point probe to quantify the impact of Ag content on resistivity, with us finding the expected linear relationship with the Ag content in the film. Furthermore, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the films was measured using X-ray diffraction, and modulus and hardness were measured via nanoindentation, revealing linear dependences on the Ag content as well. Notably, the addition of 1.25 atom% Ag resulted in a significant increase in the CTE from 17.9 to 19.3 ppm/K, Young’s modulus from 111 to 161 GPa, and film hardness from 1.70 to 3.99 GPa. These simple relationships offer a range of properties tunable via the duty cycle of the pulsed plating, making Cu(Ag) a promising candidate for engineering wafer-to-wafer metal interconnections.

Preparation of Nano Silicon Carbide Modified UV Paint and Its Application Performance on Wood Flooring Surface.

This study aims to tackle the drawback of non-abrasion-resistance of wood flooring with paint finish. A new method for preparing wood flooring with super-abrasion-resistant coatings by adding nano silicon carbide (SiC) particles to the paint was developed. As indicated by the results, the best mass fraction of nano SiC powder added in ultraviolet (UV) paint is 2.0%, the suspension liquid is stable when the mass concentration of sodium hexametaphosphate added is 2.5%, and it is better for the site humidity to remain below 75% when the nano SiC paint coating is applied. During the preparation of wood flooring with super-abrasion-resistant coating finish, the dosage of finish applied each time should not exceed 30 g/m2. During the sanding process, the sanding speed needs to be increased by about 2 m/s compared with that for the ordinary UV nano SiC primer in production. The test results of the performance of finished products indicate that the prepared wood flooring has better film abrasion resistance, adhesion of paint film, and film hardness. Meanwhile, because the paint film is durable and weather resistant, the service life of flooring is effectively extended, avoiding a significant waste of the product's use value and broadening the product's application range.

Smooth diamond-like carbon films prepared by cathodic vacuum arc deposition with large glancing angles

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared by cathodic vacuum arc (CVA) deposition with different glancing angles (the angle between the normal reverse direction of the arc target and the normal direction of the substrate surface) in range of 0 to 135°. The effects of the glancing angle on the morphology, carbon structure, mechanical property and tribological behavior of the DLC films were investigated. The results show that the surface quality of the DLC films is significantly improved by increasing the glancing angle. The macroparticles in the surface as well as the surface roughness of the DLC films decrease sharply as the glancing angle increases. The sp3/sp2 of the DLC films decreases at first and then increases as the glancing angle increases. The normal incidence energy of the Cn+ species becomes suitable to the formation of sp3-C when the glancing angle is 45°. The variation in the film hardness and compress stress at different glancing angles are similar in profile to the sp3 bond fractions. However, the compressive stress of the films could be reduced effectively by avoiding the bombardment of the Cn+ species with excessively high energy through increasing glancing angle. The tribological behaviors of the films could be also improved by changing the glancing angle. It is supposed that the CVA with appropriate glancing angle might be one way to prepare the DLC films with smooth surface, high hardness, low compressive stress and good tribological performance.

Prediction of polishing roughness of aluminum alloy hard anodized film based on BP and GA-BP neural network

In order to obtain better-polished surface quality of hard anodic oxide film, two deep learning models of the BP neural network and GA-BP neural network were used to establish a roughness prediction model for aluminum alloy hard anodic oxide film polishing. The experimental data was divided into two groups, one group of data was used for model training, and the other group of data was used for model testing. The results showed that the mean square error between the polishing roughness predicted by the BP neural network model and the experimental results was 1.33E-2, the maximum relative error was 18.84 %, the minimum relative error was 0.77 %, and the average relative error was 10.46 %. The error is relatively large, and the degree of variation of the error is relatively large; the mean square error of the polishing roughness predicted by the GA-BP neural network model and the test results is 0.58E-2, the maximum relative error is 14.28 %, the minimum relative error is 0.51%, the average relative error is 6.61 %, the error is smaller, and the degree of error change is smaller; the prediction accuracy of the GA-BP model is the highest, and the generalization ability strongest.

A Superhydrophobic Anti-Icing Surface with a Honeycomb Nanopore Structure

Recently, the icing disaster of transmission lines has been a serious threat to the safe operation of the power system. A superhydrophobic (SHP) anti-icing surface with a honeycomb nanopore structure was constructed using anodic oxidation technology combined with a vacuum infusion process. When the current density was 87.5 mA/cm2, the honeycomb porous surface had the best superhydrophobic performance (excellent water mobility), lowest ice-adhesion strength (0.7 kPa) and best anti-frosting performance. Compared with other types of alumina surfaces, the ice-adhesion strength of the SHP surface (87.5 mA/cm2) was only 0.2% of that of the bare surface. The frosting time of the SHP surface (87.5 mA/cm2) was 150 min, which was much slower. The former is attributed to the air cushion within the porous structure and the stress concentration, and the latter is attributed to the self-transition of the droplets and low solid–liquid heat transfer area. After 100 icing or frosting cycles, the SHP surface (87.5 mA/cm2) maintained a low ice-adhesion strength and superhydrophobic performance. This is because the anodic oxidation process forms a hard porous film, and the nano porous structure with a high aspect ratio can store modifiers to realize self-healing. The results indicate that the SHP surface with a honeycomb nanopore structure presents excellent anti-icing performance and durability.

Effect of carbon content on structure and properties of (CuNiTiNbCr)CxNy high-entropy alloy films

High-entropy alloy films have shown excellent mechanical performance, but their hardness and wear resistance are still lower than those of conventional hard films such as TiN and CrN, which cannot meet the requirements of hard film applied under severe wear conditions. In this study, the (CuNiTiNbCr)CxNy high-entropy nanocomposite films were prepared by the double-target co-sputtering method. The effect of carbon content on the film morphology, phase structure, mechanical properties and tribological properties were investigated. With the introduction of carbon atoms in the film, the amorphous/carbonitride/amorphous carbon composite structure is formed. At 21.5 at.% carbon, the film hardness reaches the highest of 18.1 GPa. And at 37.6 at.% carbon, the film shows the highest toughness of 0.96 MPa m1/2 and exhibits the best tribological properties with a low friction coefficient of 0.27 and a wear rate of 1.0 × 10−6 mm3/N·m. The improvement in wear resistance is mainly attributed to the strong toughness of nanocomposite structures and the lubrication effect of amorphous carbon phase. The (CuNiTiNbCr)CxNy high-entropy nanocomposite films show good application prospect in harsh friction environments.

Deposition of Ti[sbnd]Zr alloy films using Ti and Zr dual-cathode high-power impulse magnetron co-sputtering

In this study, titanium–zirconium binary alloy films were deposited using heterogeneous dual-cathode high-power impulse magnetron sputtering with a closed magnetron field. For both Ti and Zr cathodes, the discharge voltage pulses were synchronized with an equal pulse width. In addition, we investigated the effects of the average discharge power ratios of the two cathode materials, deposition pressure, and substrate bias voltage on the mechanical strength and microstructure of the deposited films. The results revealed that the film composition could be controlled by the average power ratio of the two cathodes at a constant deposition pressure; however, the deposition rate of each element varied with the deposition pressure. At a constant average power ratio at the two cathodes, the Zr content in the films decreased with decreasing the deposition pressure. Decreasing the deposition pressure can smoothen the film surface, but the dependence of the film composition on two cathode powers also changes. An adequate enhancement of the negative substrate bias can further increase the film hardness and reduce the film elastic modulus, yielding only a moderate loss in the film deposition rate and marginal variations in the film composition. However, the magnitudes of the increase in hardness and the decrease in elastic modulus brought by enhancing negative substrate bias varies with the film composition, and will be minimized when the atomic fractions of Ti and Zr are near equal. Notably, with adjusting the negative substrate bias, adding Zr can change the film hardness from 4.8 to 10.6 GPa, and the film elastic modulus from 100 to 162 GPa. Overall, the advantageous mechanical and structural properties of the TiZr alloy films deposited using HiPIMS might be useful in tools, biomedical devices, wearable equipment applications.

Development and formulation of a novel plasticizer-free polyvinyl acetate-based wood adhesive

Amongst water-based emulsion adhesives, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) emulsion is majorly employed in the non-structural bonding of interior or exterior furniture and joinery industries. However, PVAc emulsion requires plasticizers, which inherently have challenges resulting in deteriorating thermal and mechanical properties. Hence, the present work focuses on formulating a plasticizer-free adhesive by copolymerizing vinyl acetate with butyl acrylate (BA). The physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of BA-incorporated adhesives were analyzed by viscosity, pH, water contact angle, pencil hardness test of films, and differential scanning calorimetry. Optimizing strategy by varying the content of BA was evaluated. The shear strength of the samples on the wood specimen was verified in dry conditions at various intervals, and in wet conditions as per EN 204 standard. The viscosity of the adhesives exhibited a positive shift, as the concentration BA increased. The hardness of PVAc films was also altered positively by the addition of BA. Water contact angle measurement unveiled the hydrophobic nature of BA incorporation. The performance of the newly formulated adhesive tested on dry conditions showed enhanced tensile shear strength, and the values were maximum for 1 wt. % BA sample. Tensile shear strength value measured at dry conditions after 7 d of drying displayed an increment of ∼5.5% on 1 wt. % BA sample, compared to pristine adhesive. Analysis at wet conditions also corroborated enhanced performance with BA incorporation. Hence by optimizing the content of BA, a new concept of PVAc emulsion adhesive without any plasticizer can be formulated, with enhanced water resistance and performance.

Microstructure of phosphate conversion film formed on the surface of A36 steel prepared by micro-arc discharge plasma

Phosphate conversion film is an important surface protection film for steel. It mainly has the functions of corrosion resistance, wear resistance, plastic processing lubricity, etc., or as the basis of subsequent coating or painting. Phosphate treatment is traditionally used to form a Phosphate conversion film on the surface of steel. In this treatment method, a dilute solution of phosphoric acid and phosphate can be applied to the surface to be treated by spraying or soaking, so that it can react with the surface to form an insoluble phosphate film. This method is more difficult to control the thickness and microstructure of the formed film, and there are many pretreatment procedures. In response to future environmental policies, carbon neutrality and 2050 net zero carbon emissions must be met. In this study, the micro-arc discharge method was used from the surface pretreatment of A36 steel to the formation of the phosphoric acid film. The consistent method shortened the process steps and reduced the carbon emission of the process to comply with the environmental policy. The discharge voltage is 50 ∼ 200 V, the current is about 1.6 A, and the different process time and current are controlled, which to observe the microstructure of the phosphoric acid film and surface hardness. Possible reaction mechanisms for phosphate film formation will be discussed in this paper.

Effect of nitrogen pressure on the fabrication of AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 high entropy nitride thin films via cathodic arc deposition

In the past two decades, high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings have attracted great attention due to their superior mechanical properties, outstanding corrosion and oxidation resistance, and exceptionally high thermal stability. In comparison to HEA thin films, high entropy nitrides (HENs) exhibit higher mechanical strength and chemical inertness. In this work, AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 HEA and HEN thin films were fabricated using a filtered cathodic arc. By regulating the deposition pressure from 0.0005 Pa (HEA thin film) to 0.05 Pa, the nitrogen concentration in each thin film was precisely controlled to tune the mechanical properties. Scanning transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed that the nitrogen concentration of the films was up to 21.2 at. % at the pressure of 0.05 Pa. The reduced effect of preferential sputtering increased aluminum concentration from 8.3 ± 1.5 to 12.9 ± 2.2 at. % as pressure increased up to 0.05 Pa. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further confirmed the formation of AlN and CrN at pressures of 0.01–0.05 Pa. The highest hardness and elastic modulus of the HEN film were 12.4 ± 0.6 and 347.3 ± 17.7 GPa, respectively, which were 84.8% and 131.4% higher than those of the HEA thin film.

Surface Roughness-Induced Changes in Important Physical Features of CoFeSm Thin Films on Glass Substrates during Annealing.

Co60Fe20Sm20 thin films were deposited onto glass substrates in a high vacuum setting. The films varied in thickness from 10 to 50 nm and underwent annealing processes at different temperatures: room temperature (RT), 100, 200, and 300 °C. Our analysis encompassed structural, magnetic, electrical, nanomechanical, adhesive, and optical properties in relation to film thickness and annealing temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis did not reveal characteristic peaks in Co60Fe20Sm20 thin films due to insufficient growth-driving forces. Electrical measurements indicated reduced resistivity and sheet resistance with increasing film thickness and higher annealing temperatures, owing to hindered current-carrier transport resulting from the amorphous structure. Atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis showed a decrease in surface roughness with increased thickness and annealing temperature. The low-frequency alternating current magnetic susceptibility (χac) values increased with film thickness and annealing temperature. Nanoindentation analysis demonstrated reduced film hardness and Young's modulus with thicker films. Contact angle measurements suggested a hydrophilic film. Surface energy increased with greater film thickness, particularly in annealed films, indicating a decrease in contact angle contributing to this increase. Transmittance measurements have revealed intensified absorption and reduced transmittance with thicker films. In summary, the surface roughness of CoFeSm films at different annealing temperatures significantly influenced their magnetic, electrical, adhesive, and optical properties. A smoother surface reduced the pinning effect on the domain walls, enhancing the χac value. Additionally, diminished surface roughness led to a lower contact angle and higher surface energy. Additionally, smoother surfaces exhibited higher carrier conductivity, resulting in reduced electrical resistance. The optical transparency decreased due to the smoother surface of Co60Fe20Sm20 films.

Carbon defect induced evolution of structural and mechanical properties in substoichiometric (HfMoNbZr)Cx films

Substoichiometric (HfMoNbZr)Cx films with varied carbon content were synthesized using non-reactive magnetron sputtering. Findings reveal that the (HfMoNbZr)Cx film predominantly exhibits a single-phase FCC structure, which transforms to a dual-phase structure consisting of FCC and Hex. phases at higher carbon content. This behavior arises from the segregation of group VB (Nb) and VIB (Mo) elements from the FCC lattice. The film hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) increases with rising carbon content accompanied by a decrease of coefficient of friction (COF). However, the wear rate is not decreased despite the increased H and reduced COF of the as-deposited films. This phenomenon is explained by examining the differences in the wear mechanisms between (HfMoNbZr)Cx films with single- and dual- phase structures.

Effect of chain extender dichlorodimethylsilane (DDS) on the mechanical properties of hydroxyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (HOPDMS)

The effect of the chain extender dichlorodimethylsilane (DDS) on the mechanical properties of hydroxyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was investigated. Different amounts of DDS ranges from 0.5 to 5.0 phr were added to the base polymer. After degassing (degasification) the prepared solution of chain extender (DDS) for 5h, viscosity was measured. It was observed that viscosities were increased from 1189 to 212246 cst (almost 180 times), while their molecular weights increased from 13899 to 206019 g/mol (almost 15 times) at 3.5 phr DDS concentration. Crosslinking agents such as tetraethoxysilane [tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)] and tin catalyst were utilized for fabricating the sheet. Mechanical properties were evaluated by using universal testing machine. Tear strength was increased from 0.057 to 0.352 N/mm while Tensile strength was decreased from 0.40 to 0.23 MPa % and elongation at break was increased from 38.87 to 552.20%. Durometer shore A was utilized to measure hardness of the thin films which was decreased from 25 to 10 shore A. Swelling measurement indicated that crosslinking density was decreased from 3.6x10−4 to 1.1x10−5 mol/cm3, while molecular weight between crosslinks was increased from 2979 to 89597 g/mol. Increase in viscosity, molecular weight and average molecular weight between junctions and decrease in crosslinking density with the addition of dichlorodimethylsilane as chain extender confirmed the chain extension of low molecular weight PDMS. Results showed that maximum outcome in physical and mechanical properties of cured PDMS were obtained at 3.5 phr DDS concentration. Relation between tear strength and average molecular weight between junctions obeyed the lake and Thomas equation.

Sliding friction behaviors of TiCN/Cr3C2-NiCr and TiCN/WC-CoCr duplex coatings fabricated by combining HVOF and HT-CVD procedures

Hard films play essential roles in the wear protection of metal moving components. In this study, the TiCN/Cr3C2-NiCr and TiCN/WC-CoCr duplex coatings were designed and fabricated by utilizing the high-velocity oxygen fuel and the high-temperature chemical vapor deposition processes. The effects of two cermet interlayers on the microstructure, mechanical characteristics, stress distribution, and sliding wear behavior of the top TiCN films were thoroughly explored. Results evidenced that the TiCN/WC-CoCr duplex coating had a smoother surface than the TiCN/Cr3C2-NiCr duplex coating. The load-bearing capacity and fracture toughness of TiCN/WC-CoCr duplex coating were superior to TiCN/Cr3C2-NiCr duplex coating due to WC-CoCr coating possessing higher hardness, elastic modulus and high-temperature stability. The TiCN/WC-CoCr duplex coating also exhibited lower Von Mises stress compared to TiCN/Cr3C2-NiCr duplex coating, and the stress concentration zone was further away from the interface between the TiCN film and the cermet interlayer. The wear resistance of TiCN/WC-CoCr duplex coating was approximately 2 and 1.5 times that of the single TiCN film and TiCN/Cr3C2-NiCr duplex coating under 20 N load. Moreover, the wear mechanisms of the duplex coatings involved abrasive wear, adhesive wear and oxidative wear. This work significantly enhanced the wear resistance of TiCN films, which will broaden the application of TiCN film in non-load-bearing metal moving components.

Influence of Ag on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of SiC–Ag composite film deposited by the industrial DC magnetron sputtering system

Industrial synthesis and application of green self-lubricant hard film have been considering as a hot spot in the field of surface engineering. In this paper, the Ag was added into the amorphous SiC matrix to deposit a series of Ag–SiC composite film with various Ag content using an industrial DC magnetron sputtering system, to enhancing the tribological properties for the real self-lubricant applications. Results showed that a dual-phase of fcc-Ag and amorphous SiC co-existed into the films regardless of Ag content. The accumulation of nano-particles of Ag could be detected in the amorphous matrix. The addition of soft Ag into the matrix gradually decreased the hardness from 21 ± 1 GPa for the binary SiC film to 7 ± 1 GPa for the composite film at 15.3 ± 0.8 at.% Ag, whilst it also dropped room temperature the average friction coefficient. Both the enhanced anti-friction property and the degradation of hardness attributed to the wear rate first dropping and then rising as a function of increase of Ag content and the lowest wear rate could be detected for the film at 4.3 ± 0.2 at.% Ag.

Electrochemical and tribological studies of in-situ grown ceramic layers on additively manufactured Ti–50Zr alloy for load-bearing implant applications

Ti and Zr metals are the most common bio-metallic materials that are frequently employed in a variety of orthopedic applications due to their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical stability. However, these metals still suffer from poor wear and corrosion resistance in the physiological environments. To mitigate these limitations, Ti–50Zr alloy was fabricated using the Laser Engineering Net Shape (LENS™) additive manufacturing technique. At 600 °C for 2 and 6 h, the samples underwent thermal nitridation (TN) and thermal oxidation (TO), respectively. The assessment of the surface treatments on the in-situ grown nitride and oxide coating thickness, phase identifications, and in-vitro tribological properties of Ti–50Zr alloy were carried out in simulated conditions. The results showed that thermal treatments could significantly change the film thickness, hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance properties of Zr–50Ti alloy. The sample that underwent nitriding at 600 °C for 6 h showed the highest in-vitro wear resistance. Compared to thermally oxidized samples, nitridation of Ti–50Zr alloy can be used for bio implant applications, with adequate mechanical stability, excellent wear, and corrosion resistance.

Effects of Oxygen Pressure on the Microstructures and Nanomechanical Properties of Samarium-Doped BiFeO3 Thin Films.

In this study, samarium (Sm-10at%)-doped BiFeO3 (SmBFO) thin films were grown on platinum-coated glass substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to unveil the correlation between the microstructures and nanomechanical properties of the films. The PLD-derived SmBFO thin films were prepared under various oxygen partial pressures (PO2) of 10, 30, and 50 mTorr at a substrate temperature of 600 °C. The scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed a surface morphology consisting of densely packed grains, although the size distribution varied with the PO2. X-ray diffraction results indicate that all SmBFO thin films are textured and preferentially oriented along the (110) crystallographic orientation. The crystallite sizes of the obtained SmBFO thin films calculated from the Scherrer and (Williamson-Hall) equations increased from 20 (33) nm to 25 (52) nm with increasing PO2. In addition, the nanomechanical properties (the hardness and Young's modulus) of the SmBFO thin films were measured by using nanoindentation. The relationship between the hardness and crystalline size of SmBFO thin films appears to closely follow the Hall-Petch equation. In addition, the PO2 dependence of the film microstructure, the crystallite size, the hardness, and Young's modulus of SmBFO thin films are discussed.

Radiation hardness evaluation of ε-Ga2O3 thin-film devices under swift heavy ion irradiation

The ultra-wide band gap (∼4.9 eV) and extremely large breakdown field strength (∼8 MV/cm) enable ε-Ga2O3 as an ideal materials candidate for high-performance power devices and solar-blind photodetectors. For the purpose of deep space applications explorations, comprehensive study of the effects of particle irradiation on the lattice stability and electronic properties of ε-Ga2O3 are of pivotal importance. In this work, leveraging a unique Ta radiation source, we interrogate the radiation hardness of ε-Ga2O3 thin films after 1907 MeV Ta swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation. Detailed characterizations of the structural and optical properties show that the morphology and lattice structure are disrupted, with an increase of the band gap. Additionally, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments combining density functional theory calculations corroborate extrinsic flux-induced high concentration defects in the film, which lead to truncated photo-response performance of the device. However, even upon irradiation with a fluence of 5 × 1010 cm−2, the overall performance of the device remains robust and substantial. This outstanding radiation hardness of ε-Ga2O3 thin films rationalizes their potential usage for space applications.

Effects of Bias Voltage and Substrate Temperature on the Mechanical Properties and Oxidation Behavior of CrWSiN Films

CrWSiN films were prepared through the co-sputtering technique, and the process variables were substrate bias voltage and temperature. The mechanical properties of hardness and elastic modulus of the CrWSiN films were dominantly affected by their average crystallite size and by substrate bias voltage and temperature. Moreover, the effect of substrate temperature was more evident than that of substrate bias. The highest hardness and elastic modulus of 42.6 and 459 GPa, respectively, were obtained for the Cr20W28Si9N43 film fabricated at a substrate temperature of 400 °C, which exhibits an evident advantage over the 25.0 and 323 GPa values for the Cr21W28Si9N42 film fabricated at room temperature. In contrast, an increase in negative bias voltage to −100 V on the substrate decreased the mechanical properties compared to one prepared using a similar process without applying the negative bias voltage. The oxidation resistance of the Cr-enriched Cr37W4Si10N49 and Cr37W5Si10N48 films was superior to that of the Cr20W28Si9N43 films with near-equal Cr and W contents annealed at 900 °C in air. The formation of a surficial Cr2O3 layer plays a vital role in restricting subsequent oxidation for CrWSiN films.