Abstract
The article presents a detailed analysis of the structure-hardness relations in Zr-Cu-N and Zr-Ti-Cu-N films with low and high Ti content. These films were sputter deposited using a dc unbalanced magnetron equipped with a composed target, i.e. a round plate of diameter 100 mm made of ZrCu (90/10 at.%) alloy with a Ti (99.5%) fixing ring. The use of the Ti fixing ring of two internal diameters (70 or 50 mm) makes it possible to prepare Zr-Ti-Cu-N films with different Ti content, approximately with 15 or 50 at.%, respectively. The properties of the Zr-Ti-Cu-N films were compared with those of Zr-Cu-N films reactively sputtered from the same magnetron but equipped with a ZrCu (90/10 at.%) target in a mixture of argon and nitrogen at a total pressure pT = pAr + pN2 = 0.7 Pa. It was found that (i) nanostructured Zr-Cu-N and Zr-Ti-Cu-N films can form superhard materials with hardness H greater than 40 GPa, (ii) there is a strong correlation between the structure and the hardness of the films, (iii) the films with a maximum hardness Hmax are composed of a mixture of grains of different crystallographic orientations and (iv) there is no correlation between Hmax of superhard films, their stoichiometry x = N/(Zr + Ti) and Ti content in the film.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 243-253 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Surface and Coatings Technology |
Volume | 166 |
Issue number | 2-3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 24 Mar 2003 |
Keywords
- Magnetron sputtering
- Mechanical properties
- Structure
- Superhardness
- Zr-Ti-Cu-N films
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Surfaces and Interfaces
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films
- Materials Chemistry