Sputter Deposition of Wear-Resistant Coatings Within the System Zr--B--N

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing, 1990-09, Vol.A140 (1-2), p.670-675
• Main Authors: Mitterer, C, Ubleis, A, Ebner, R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0921-5093

Wear-resistant coatings of zirconium boride and zirconium boron nitride were deposited on steel (X5CrNi18 10, 34CrNiMo6) and Mo substrates employing non-reactive and reactive dc magnetron sputtering using zirconium diboride targets. The characterization of the coatings was done by means of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results are discussed in connection with measured mechanical coating properties such as microhardness and adhesion. The optical properties of the coatings were determined using a CIE-L*a*b* colorimeter and specialized corrosion and abrasion tests. Non-reactive sputtering using ZrB sub 2 targets results in the formation of coatings with a columnar structure and predominantly (001)-oriented ZrB sub 2 crystals. Coatings deposited at low nitrogen flow rates exhibit very fine-grained or even fracture amorphous structures with a hexagonal Zr--B--N phase derived from the ZrB sub 2 lattice. A further increase of the N flow leads to an amorphous film growth. The maximum Vickers microhardness of the coatings was found to be approx 2300 HV 0.02 Zr--B, and Zr--B--N coatings offer a wide range of interesting colours, good corrosion, and wear resistance. Graphs, Photomicrographs, Spectra. 11 ref.--AA