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Stability of Nanometer-Thick Layers in Hard Coatings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Scott A. Barnett ,
Anita Madan ,
Ilwon Kim  and
Keith Martin
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Abstract

This article reviews two topics related to the stability of hard coatings composed of nanometer-thick layers: epitaxial stabilization and high-temperature stability. Early work on nanolayered hard coatings demonstrated large hardness increases as compared with monolithic coatings, but it was subsequently found that the layers interdiffused at elevated temperatures. More recently, it has been shown that nanolayers exhibit good stability at elevated temperatures if the layer materials are thermodynamically stable with respect to each other and are able to form low-energy coherent interfaces. This article discusses metal/nitride, nitride/nitride, and nitride/boride nanolayers that exhibit good high-temperature stability and hardness values that are maintained (or even increase) after high-temperature annealing. Epitaxial stabilization of nonequilibrium structuresin thin layers is a well-known phenomenon that has been applied to hard nitride materials. In particular, AlN, which crystallizes in the hexagonal wurtzite structure in bulk form, was stabilized in the rock-salt cubic structure in nitride/nitride nanolayers (e.g., AlN/TiN). These results and the current understanding of epitaxial stabilization in hard nanolayers are discussed.

Keywords

annealinghardness testingsuperhard coating materialsthin films
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 28 , Issue 3: Superhard Coating Materials , March 2003 , pp. 169 - 172
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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