Magnetron Co-sputtering Technique Research Articles

High performance Symmetric Supercapacitors based on Au incorporated CrN thin films fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering

Recently, transition metal nitrides are being investigated extensively as potential supercapacitor material. In the present study, Au incorporated CrN (Au_CrN) thin films have been synthesized using reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique for application as supercapacitor electrode material. Films have been prepared at different Ar to N2 flow rates keeping total deposition pressure constant to achieve the required structural phase in the sample. Electrochemical properties of the deposited materials have been investigated with a three-electrode system in 0.5 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. The CrN thin film deposited under 3:1 Ar: N2 partial pressure or flow rate ratio shows the highest specific capacitance. Upon Au incorporation, the film shows an areal capacitance of 56.8 mFcm−2 at 1.0 mAcm−2discharge current density which is an almost nine-fold enhancement in specific capacitance value compared to pristine CrN sample. Symmetric supercapacitors have also been developed by sandwiching two identical Au_CrN thin film electrodes, which have found to deliver excellent specific capacitance of 86.03 mFcm−2at 1.0 mAcm−2discharge current density with no decline in capacitance value till 20000 cycles. Furthermore, it can deliver a high energy density of 52.02mWhcm−2and a power density of 0.12mWcm−2. The electrochemical properties of the supercapacitors fabricated with the Au_CrN thin film electrodes are found to be better than most of the results reported so far in the literature with CrN electrodes. Results of the present study clearly demonstrate that these Au enhanced CrN films prepared by easily scalable and highly reproducible magnetron sputtering technique have great potential as a high capacitance supercapacitor electrode material.

Co-Ni co-sputter deposited bimetallic thin film catalysts for alkaline hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions

Co-Ni bi-metallic thin films with different stoichiometries have been deposited by magnetron co-sputtering technique on Ni foam (NF), Si and carbon paper substrates. The structural and morphological characterisations of these films have been done by X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope measurements. The performances of these films for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been evaluated through electrochemical measurements like Linear Sweep Voltammetry, Cyclic Voltammetry and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy measurements. Operando X ray absorption near edge spectroscopy measurements have also been carried out during HER and OER to decipher the redox reaction mechanisms. It has been observed that the HER and OER performance of all the Co Ni bi-metallic thin films on NF are found to be better than that of bare NF. The CoNi sample with composition of 58.7 % Co and 41.3 % Ni shows the best catalytic activity and stability towards HER and OER reactions. Though the HER activity is not the best but is comparable to many results reported in the literature, however the catalyst shows excellent OER activity with overpotential of 214 mV for 10 mA/cm2 current density. This is much better than that of the OER benchmark catalyst RuO2 and most of those reported in the literature. The OER is kinetically slower than HER and requires more overpotential, hence a significant improvement in the catalytic OER activity will definitely enhance the overall water splitting activity and hydrogen production efficiency. Thus the Co-Ni bi-metallic catalyst prepared by an easily scalable and highly reproducible magnetron co-sputtering technique has significant potential to emerge out as a technologically viable water splitting catalyst.

Optical, structural, morphological, and gas sensing properties of Mg-doped α-Fe2O3 thin films deposited by RF and DC magnetron Co-sputtering technique

In this research, Mg-doped hematite (α-Fe2O3) thin films with different Mg-doping concentrations were synthesized on glass substrates using the direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering technique, and the changes of some physical properties due to the concentration of the dopant were investigated. The optical, structural, morphological, and elemental properties of the obtained Mg-doped α-Fe2O3 thin films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, UV–Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XRD analysis revealed that the investigated thin films have a rhombohedral crystal structure. The deposition of films at different DC sputtering voltages caused significant variations in stoichiometry and nanostructure. The thin films' band gap energy values were estimated based on absorption measurements, and results ranged from 2.15 eV to 2.69 eV. Raman peaks were observed between 218 cm−1 and 1305 cm−1. The thin films exhibit uniform surface morphology throughout the substrate according to the SEM images. The low RMS roughness values obtained from AFM images showed that the surfaces of Mg:Fe2O3 thin films are smooth. The Mg-doped α-Fe2O3 thin film doped by 150 W DC voltage exhibited a good gas-sensing response at 300 °C. A remarkably quick response/recovery time was achieved.

Synthesis and characterization of low-friction W-V-N alloy coatings using reactive magnetron sputtering technique for tribological applications

In recent years, self-lubricating hard coatings have garnered significant interest across various industries such as cutting tools, molds, and manufacturing because of their ability to reduce friction and wear at high temperatures in dry-cutting applications. The present study focuses on synthesis of tungsten-vanadium-nitride (W-V-N) coatings using the reactive magnetron cosputtering technique in an Ar + N2 plasma gas environment. The coating microstructure, surface morphology, wetting behavior, and mechanical properties were characterized by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and nanoindentation. Wear resistance properties of the prepared W-V-N alloy coatings were investigated using a ball-on-disk tribometer at two different temperatures. The findings indicate that all W-V-N coatings, regardless of the vanadium content, exhibit a face-centered cubic structure and form a solid solution of W-V-N. Among the coatings studied, W0.68V0.32N exhibited the highest hardness (14.25 GPa) and Young's modulus (257.53 GPa), as well as an excellent wear resistance. Increasing the vanadium content in the W-V-N coating led to a notable reduction in both the specific wear rate and friction coefficient. Moreover, this reduction was more pronounced with an increase in temperature during the wear test. Improvement in the wear properties can be attributed to the formation of Magnéli phases of vanadium oxides on the surface of the coatings. The ability of the W-V-N coating to reduce friction and wear, combined with its improved mechanical properties, makes it a promising candidate for solid lubricating coatings in tribological applications.

Mg storage properties and reaction mechanism of PbSn alloy films in Mg ion batteries

Alloy-type anodes in magnesium ion batteries (MIBs) have sparked considerable interest due to their notable characteristics, including high theoretical specific capacities, low reaction potentials and compatibility with conventional electrolytes, but their development still needs to be further expanded and explored. Herein, we fabricated the self-supporting biphase PbSn alloy films using a one-step magnetron co-sputtering technique. As anodes for MIBs, the PbSn alloy electrode delivers more stable capacity values and better capacity recoverability than those of pure Pb electrode, which could be associated with the improvement of structural/performance stability derived from the biphase constitution. Most importantly, the Mg storage mechanism of PbSn anodes was distinctly revealed by integrating both ex situ and operando X-ray diffraction methods, elucidating a two-step alloying reaction.

Influence of substrate temperature on the properties of ZnTe:Cu films prepared by a magnetron co-sputtering method

Copper-doped Zinc Tellurium (ZnTe:Cu) films were deposited on borosilicate glass using magnetron co-sputtering technique. The influence of the substrate temperature on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of ZnTe:Cu films was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV–Vis spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement system. The results indicate that substrate temperature significantly affects the properties of the ZnTe:Cu films. When the substrate temperature increases from room temperature to 600 °C, the (111)-preferred orientation of ZnTe:Cu films is gradually replaced by the (220)-preferred orientation. At high substrate temperatures (≥500 °C), the CuxTe phase appears in the ZnTe:Cu films, resulting in higher carrier concentration (>1019 cm−3) and lower resistivity (<10−2 Ω cm) of the prepared films.

Magnetic and anomalous Hall effect investigations of co-sputtered Co2MnGa Heusler alloy thin films

The cobalt-based full Heusler alloy Co2MnGa (CMG) is well known for exhibiting an exotic phenomenon such as magnetic Weyl semimetallic nature with a high Curie temperature of ∼700 K and a giant anomalous Hall effect. Here, we report a detailed study of structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of Co2MnGa thin films (thickness in the 40–10 nm range) grown on Si(100) by the direct-current magnetron co-sputtering technique using Co and MnGa targets. Structural analysis of the samples revealed the polycrystalline nature of these films with B2 type structural ordering. The damping parameter decreases with the increase in film thickness and reaches the minimum value of 6.1 × 10−3 for a 40 nm thin CMG film. These CMG films are magnetically isotropic and soft ferromagnetic in nature. A remarkably high value of anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) of 1920 S/cm (2 K) is found for the 40 nm thin film, which is comparable to earlier reported values on highly ordered CMG films. Nearly 73% of this AHC value originates from the intrinsic contribution. The AHC and longitudinal conductivity both increase with the film thickness. Different scaling mechanisms are used to compute the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions playing a role in AHC. The analysis of advanced scaling [by Tian et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 1–4 (2009)] performed on these CMG films suggests the consistency in the enhanced intrinsic AHC value irrespective of the thickness and a decrease in skew scattering contribution with thickness. These results will enhance the understanding about the magnetic and transport properties of Co2MnGa thin films of different thicknesses and suggest it to be a promising material for topospintronic applications.

Growth and stability of epitaxial zirconium diboride thin films on silicon (111) substrate

The epitaxial growth of boron rich hexagonal zirconium diborides (h-ZrB2+δ) thin films on Si(111) substrates using the magnetron co-sputtering technique with elemental zirconium and boron is reported. The effect of process temperature (700–900 °C) on the compositions and epitaxy quality was investigated. The chemical composition of the films was found to have a higher boron to zirconium ratio than the ideal stoichiometric AlB2-type ZrB2 and was observed to be sensitive to process temperature. Films deposited at 700 °C exhibited intense diffraction peaks along the growth direction corresponding to (000ℓ) of h-ZrB2 using both lab and synchrotron-based x-ray diffractograms. The thermal and compositional stability of the epitaxial h-ZrB2+δ film was further evaluated under a nitrogen-rich environment through isothermal annealing which showed a reduction in in-plane misorientation during thermal annealing. The relative stability of deviating compositions and the energetics of impurity incorporations were analyzed using density functional theory simulations, and the formation of native point defects or impurity incorporation in h-ZrB2 was found to be endothermic processes. Our experimental results showed that an epitaxial thin film of h-ZrB2+δ can be grown on Si(111) substrate using a magnetron co-sputtering technique at a relatively low processing temperature (700 °C) and has the potential to be used as a template for III-nitride growth on Si substrates.

High Thermoelectric Performance of Non-Stoichiometric and Oriented GeTe Thin Films.

The increasing demand for micro-thermoelectric coolers and generators promotes the research on thermoelectric (TE) thin films. As a promising medium-temperature TE material, GeTe has attracted wide attention recently. However, the thermoelectric performance of thin-film GeTe remains inferior. Herein, oriented GeTe films with excessive Ge are obtained by magnetron co-sputtering technique, which can not only reduce the carrier concentration but also increase the carrier mobility, maintaining the high electrical conductivity of GeTe. Furthermore, higher structural symmetry and grain boundary scattering enhance the Seebeck coefficient of oriented GeTe films. As a result, the power factor (PF) value can reach as high as 2848 µW m-1 K-2 at room temperature and increase to 5263 µW m-1 K-2 at 600 K. Furthermore, a TE device with the Ge-rich GeTe thin film is fabricated and the maximum output power density (power per unit area) reaches 0.3W cm-2 at ΔT = 250 K. This work demonstrates that the stoichiometry and orientation modulations are effective strategies to improve the thermoelectric performance of GeTe thin films.

Dense and hard TiWC protective coatings grown with tungsten ion irradiation using WC-HiPIMS/TiC-DCMS co-sputtering technique without external heating

Titanium tungsten carbide (TiWC) coatings are deposited by a combined high-power impulse and dc magnetron co-sputtering (HiPIMS/DCMS) technique. No external heating is applied during deposition phase, instead, the thermally driven adatom mobility is substituted by heavy ion irradiation. DCMS sources equipped with titanium carbide targets provide constant neutral fluxes to establish the predominant coating structures, whereas tungsten carbide target in HiPIMS mode serves as the source of heavy metal-ions. Substrate bias of −60 V is synchronized to W+ ion-rich time domains of HiPIMS pulses to minimize the contribution from working gas ions. The influence of W+ ion flux intensity, controlled by varying peak target current density (JT), on film properties is investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the presence of over stoichiometric carbon forming an amorphous phase, the amount of which can be fine-tuned by varying JT. Changes in film composition as a function of JT are explained based on the in-situ ion mass spectroscopy analyses. Dense TiWC coatings by hybrid process exhibit hardness higher than 30 GPa, which are comparable to TiWC films deposited by DCMS with dc substrate bias and external heating. The relative energy consumption in the hybrid process is reduced by 77 % as compared to high-temperature DCMS processing.

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of p-type PbTe thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering via incorporating SnS

Incorporating second phase or solid solution into the thermoelectric (TE) material matrix has been proven effective to promote its performance. Recent investigations manifest that the synergistical optimization of the electrical and phonon transport properties could be achieved in the PbTe–SnSe system. Being an analogue of SnSe and more environmental, here, SnS was introduced into p-type PbTe film through intermittent magnetron co-sputtering technique. Small amount SnS was observed to induce the shift of predominant orientation from the (200) plane to the (222) plane as well as distinct change in the surface morphology. After the quite possible SnS solid solution and appropriate subsequent annealing, the electrical conductivity and the power factor (PF) have been optimized prominently. In comparison with that of the pristine PbTe film, the maximum PF has been increased by 217% in the annealed film with the intermediate SnS content.

Structural and mechanical behavior of Zr-W-Ti thin film metallic glasses prepared by multitarget co-magnetron sputtering

Zr-W-Ti thin films were deposited by magnetron co-sputtering technique with varied Ti-sputtering power between 25 and 150 W. The effect of Ti-sputtering power on their physical and mechanical properties was investigated. As a results of FE-SEM, XPS, AFM, XRD, and HR-TEM investigations, the Ti-sputtering power affected the Ti-containing structure of ZrW-based films, which exhibited an amorphous phase with a very low surface roughness layer. The mechanical properties, tested by nano-indentation, revealed the films strongest hardness and elastic modulus of 8.6 GPa and 121.3 GPa, respectively. In addition, the plastic responded, especially the serrated flow and shear banding showed that the prepared Zr-W-Ti thin films were excellent candidates for surface coating as the thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs).

Investigation of thermal stability and crystallization mechanism of Er0.03(GeTe)0.97 phase change material

Er-doped GeTe thin films with different concentrations were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering technique. The chemical compositions of Er0.03(GeTe)0.97 thin films were measured by energy dispersive spectroscopy. The difference between the phase transition behavior of Er0.03(GeTe)0.97 and pure GeTe films was investigated by in-situ electrical measurements. The crystallization temperature, crystallization resistance and optical band gap of GeTe thin films obviously increase with the doping of Er elements. X-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show that proper Er doping can inhibit grain growth and reduce grain size. The surface morphology of Er0.03(GeTe)0.97 and pure GeTe films were observed by atomic force microscopy and it was found that the surface of the film becomes smoother after Er doping. The flatter surface of Er0.03(GeTe)0.97 material means better interfacial properties and reliability. All the outcomes indicate that the proper doping of Er element can effectively improve the comprehensive performance of GeTe thin films for high thermal stability applications.

Effects of substrate rotation during AlSi-HiPIMS/Ti-DCMS co-sputtering growth of TiAlSiN coatings on phase content, microstructure, and mechanical properties

A combined high-power impulse and dc magnetron co-sputtering (HiPIMS/DCMS) technique is used to deposit Ti0.6Al0.32Si0.08N films with 1-fold substrate table rotation. Layers are grown at two different substrate-target separations, two different rotational speeds, and with different values of substrate bias. The aim is to study the role of (1) overlap between ion and neutral fluxes generated from HiPIMS and DCMS sources, respectively, and (2) the subplantation range of low-mass ions. Results from X-ray diffractometry highlight the necessity of flux intermixing in the formation of the metastable B1-structured TiAlSiN solid solutions. All films grown at short target-to-substrate distance contain the hexagonal AlN phase, as there is essentially no overlap between HiPIMS and DCMS fluxes, thus the Al+ and Si+ subplantation is very limited. Under conditions of high flux intermixing corresponding to larger target-to-substrate distance, no w-AlN forms irrespective of rotational speed (1 or 3 rpm) and bias amplitude (120 or 480 V), indicating that the role of Al+/Si+ and Ti flux overlap is crucial for the phase formation during film growth by HiPIMS/DCMS with substrate rotation. This conclusion is further supported by the fact that the reduction of the bilayer thickness with increasing the target-to-substrate distance (hence increasing flux overlap) is larger for films grown with higher amplitude of the substrate bias, indicative of more efficient Al+/Si+ subplantation into the c-TiN phase. Single-phase films with the hardness close to that of layers grown with stationary substrate table can be achieved, however, at the expense of higher compressive stress.

High Performance of Metallic Thin Films for Resistance Temperature Devices with Antimicrobial Properties.

Titanium-copper alloy films with stoichiometry given by TiCu were produced by magnetron co-sputtering technique and analyzed in order to explore the suitability of the films to be applied as resistive temperature sensors with antimicrobial properties. For that, the copper (Cu) amount in the films was varied by applying different DC currents to the source during the deposition in order to change the Cu concentration. As a result, the samples showed excellent thermoresistivity linearity and stability for temperatures in the range between room temperature to 110 °C. The sample concentration of TiCu has better characteristics to act as RTD, especially the of 1990 C. The antimicrobial properties of the TiCu films were analyzed by exposing the films to the bacterias S. aureus and E. coli, and comparing them with bare Ti and Cu films that underwent the same protocol. The TiCu thin films showed bactericidal effects, by log reduction for both bacteria, irrespective of the Cu concentrations. As a test of concept, the selected sample was subjected to 160 h reacting to variations in ambient temperature, presenting results similar to a commercial temperature sensor. Therefore, these TiCu thin films become excellent antimicrobial candidates to act as temperature sensors in advanced coating systems.

Boosting room temperature response of Pd-based hydrogen sensor by constructing in situ nanoparticles

Palladium-based H 2 sensors have attracted increased attention due to the high selectivity for H 2 , yet evident limitations like hydrogen embrittlement and slow response rates, have impeded the further development. Aiming to address these issues, adding other metals to form Pd-based alloys and optimize coincided surface structure, are widely considered as effective approaches. Here in this work, Pd/Ti alloy films with proper elemental ratios were prepared by using a magnetron co-sputtering technique, and the coincided sensing features have been further regulated by in situ nanostructuring. For the Pd/Ti film with an atomic ratio of 74.1/25.9, the H 2 response values characterizations revealed that the limit of detection (LoD) could be 50 ppm at room temperature, combined with a response time of 61.3 s at 2 vt.% H 2 concentration. Based on the first-principles calculations, the effects from hydrogen diffusion process of Pd and Pd/Ti alloys have been evaluated to be ignorable, however, the specific nanostructures constructed on the surface then become the main reason for the boosted response performance. More importantly, the approach of forming proper in situ nanoparticles has been identified as a significant guidance, for extensive and rapid response of H 2 detection of Pd-based sensors used upon low power consumption. • Pd/Ti alloy films with nanoparticles are prepared by magnetron sputtering. • Samples have response to 50 ppm - 4 vt.% H 2 concentration at room temperature. • Nanoparticles can absorb H 2 molecules and facilitate their decomposition into H atoms. • The results of the first-principles calculations confirmed the optimization effect of nanoparticles.

Exploring the amorphous phase formation and properties of W-Ta-(Cr, Fe, Ni) high-entropy alloy gradient films via a high-throughput technique

A high-throughput technique can realize fast and efficient material screening, and greatly improve the discovery efficiency of advanced materials. In the present work, the gradient composition films of the W-Ta-CrFeNi high-entropy alloy were prepared by the three-target magnetron co-sputtering technique. The gradient alloy films exhibited a body-center-cubic (BCC) structure near the W or Ta element target, and an amorphous structure near the CrFeNi target region. Considering the effect of the undercooling degree, the amorphous formation region (using Ω ~ δ ) was larger than that of the bulk alloys. These alloy films displayed ultra-high nano-indentation hardness, with the maximum hardness reaching ~ 20.6 GPa. The elastic modulus in the high-entropy composition region was lower than that in the low-entropy composition region. There is a nonlinear relationship between the nano-indentation hardness and mix-entropy of the alloys. This study provides a reference and alternative material library for the development of high-performance advanced materials. • The rapid screening with properties and phase structure of the W-Ta-(Cr, Fe, Ni) films via the high-throughput technique. • The W 15.39 Ta 38.81 Cr 14.58 Fe1 5.45 Ni 15.77 high-entropy alloy film possesses ultra-high hardness of ~ 20.6 GPa. • The amorphous phase formation ruler of high-entropy alloy films was investigated. • There is a nonlinear relationship with the mix-entropy and properties in these high-entropy alloy films. • The high mix-entropy is a reason for low elastic modulus in these high-entropy alloy films.

Energy band alignment for Cd-free antimony triselenide substrate structured solar cells by Co-sputtering ZnSnO buffer layer

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) have developed as an environmental-friendly photoactive materials for low-cost photovoltaics due to its non-toxic elements and excellent optoelectronic properties. However, chemical bath deposited (CBD) CdS thin film was generally employed as electron transport layer (ETL) in substrate or superstrate structured Sb2Se3 solar cells, which was still a huge concern restraining its long-term advancement. In this work, we have replaced the toxic CdS film by employing ZnSnO films fabricated through magnetron co-sputtering technique to develop Cd-free ZnSnO/Sb2Se3 solar cells. It was observed that Sn/(Zn + Sn) in ZnSnO film affecting the energy band alignment with Sb2Se3 take part in improving the device efficiency. Substrate structured Cd-free Sb2Se3 based devices with a champion device performance of 3.44%, were firstly made with the optimized Zn0.57Sn0.43O buffer layer closely related to the rational band alignment, the reduced recombination losses at interface (ZnSnO/Sb2Se3), and efficient charge transfer. This substituted sputtering ZnSnO for CBD-CdS film demonstrated remarkable potential to efficient and Cd-free Sb2Se3 solar cell with full-vacuum process.

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposites synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering technique

TiO2 / SiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by DC reactive magnetron cosputtering technique using different O2 : Ar gas mixing ratios. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the synthesized samples were introduced using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The XRD results revealed that all nanocomposite samples were polycrystalline. The functional groups of these samples were identified by FTIR. The UV-visible spectra of these samples showed an absorption edge at 450 nm. The results of photodegradation of organic and water pollutants under UV irradiation suggest that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 / SiO2 nanocomposite is highly improved as compared with that of TiO2 nanophotocatalyst.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Co-Sputtering (Mo, Hf)N Coatings

This work focused on the microstructure and mechanical properties of (Mo, Hf)N coatings deposited by radio frequency reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique with input power modulation. The coating characteristics, including indentation hardness, modulus, and tribological behavior, were discussed in terms of deposition parameter, composition, phase, and microstructure. The (Mo, Hf)N thin films were fabricated at a fixed Ar/N2 inlet gas ratio of 12/8 sccm/sccm and modulated input powers. The input power of Mo was fixed at 150 W, while that of the Hf target was managed from 25 to 200 W. The deposition rate and the Hf content of the (Mo, Hf)N coatings increased with input power. The (Mo, Hf)N ternary nitride coatings showed a polycrystalline microstructure with B1-MoN(111), β-Mo2N (112), γ-Mo2N(111), (200), and MoN2(200) phases in X-ray diffraction patterns as input power modulation were 150/25 to 150/100 W/W. The multiple phase microstructure feature and detail crystal development were demonstrated through transmission electron microscopy. According to nanoindentation and wear test results, ternary (Mo, Hf)N coatings represented more improved mechanical characteristics than the MoN and HfN binary nitride films. The 150/100 W/W deposited (Mo, Hf)N coating exhibited a highest hardness of 22.5 GPa when Hf content was at 5.6 at.%. The superior anti-wear behavior of this film with least wear damage was observed as well. The multiphase and solid-solution strengthening of the (Mo, Hf)N coatings, i.e., a microstructure feature of mixed B1-MoN, β-Mo2N, γ-Mo2N, and MoN2 phases and Hf doping in MoN, were the responsible for the superior mechanical and tribological behavior for the (Mo, Hf)N coatings.