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Synthesis and characterization of Cr–B–N coatings deposited by reactive arc evaporation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

K. Polychronopoulou ,
J. Neidhardt ,
C. Rebholz ,
M.A. Baker ,
M. O’Sullivan ,
A.E. Reiter ,
A.E. Gunnaes ,
K. Giannakopoulos  and
C. Mitterer
K. Polychronopoulou*
Affiliation:
Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Hard Coatings, Department of Physical Metallurgy and Materials Testing, University of Leoben, A-8700 Leoben, Austria; and Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
J. Neidhardt
Affiliation:
Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Hard Coatings, Department of Physical Metallurgy and Materials Testing, University of Leoben, A-8700 Leoben, Austria
C. Rebholz
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
M.A. Baker
Affiliation:
The Surface Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guilford GU2 4DL, United Kingdom
M. O’Sullivan
Affiliation:
PLANSEE Composite Materials GmbH, D-86983 Lechbruck, Germany
A.E. Reiter
Affiliation:
Oerlikon Balzers AG, FL-9496 Balzers, Liechtenstein
A.E. Gunnaes
Affiliation:
University of Oslo, Department of Physics, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
K. Giannakopoulos
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus; and IMS/NCSR Demokritos, Terma Patriarchou Grigoriou, Aghia Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece
C. Mitterer
Affiliation:
Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Hard Coatings, Department of Physical Metallurgy and Materials Testing, University of Leoben, A-8700 Leoben, Austria
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: kyriakip@ucy.ac.cy
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Abstract

Nanocomposite Cr–B–N coatings were deposited from CrB0.2 compound targets by reactive arc evaporation using an Ar/N2 discharge at 500 °C and −20 V substrate bias. Elastic recoil detection (ERDA), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) were used to study the effect of the N2 partial pressure on composition and microstructure of the coatings. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the coating morphology changes from a glassy to a columnar structure with increasing N2 partial pressure, which coincides with the transition from an amorphous to a crystalline growth mode. The saturation of N content in the coating confirms the formation of a thermodynamically stable CrN–BN dual-phase structure at higher N2 fractions, exhibiting a maximum in hardness of approximately 29 GPa.

Keywords

CoatingNanostructurePhysical vapor deposition (PVD)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 23 , Issue 11 , November 2008 , pp. 3048 - 3055
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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