Modelling of Nitrogen Deposition Pressure Effect on Grain Size Development and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Ternary Nitride Coatings

Abstract:

Development of complex ternary nitride coatings has attracted significant industrial interest in recent years. In deposition of complex ternary nitride coatings, the nitrogen deposition pressure plays an important role in structural evolution of the coatings leading to development of different mechanical properties. This paper summaries some successful analyses by the authors on the relationships amongst the deposition rate, grain size and hardness of the coatings against the nitrogen deposition pressure. It has been established that as the nitrogen pressure decreases, the deposition rate of the coatings increases and the grain size decreases. Hardness of the coatings increases due to the development of a refined and densified coating structure. Taking into account of the reaction kinetics at the targets, the interactions of the sputtered atoms occurred in their transfer to the substrate, the reaction kinetics at the substrate, the target material characteristics and the geometric arrangement of the sputter magnetron configuration, modelling to the relationships of deposition rate with nitrogen deposition pressure, grain size with deposition rate and hardness with grain size have been successfully established in this study. A limiting grain size of the coatings has also been identified in the grain refinement process.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volumes 539-543)
• Pages: 1177-1182
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.539-543.1177
• Online since: March 2007
• Authors: Richard Wuhrer, Wing Yiu Yeung
• Keywords: Deposition Pressure, Grain Refinement, Magnetron Sputtering, Nanocrystalline Ternary Nitride Coatings

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