Abstract
Hard coatings for wear and oxidation/corrosion protection based on chromium nitride were deposited by means of a commercial rf magnetron sputtering unit with a mixture of nitrogen and argon from a target of the pure metal. The present paper reports on the influence of deposition parameters on coating morphology, crystallographic structure, and hardness. The coating surfaces viewed by atomic force microscopy showed that grain shape depends on the composition of the vapour phase, and especially on the presence or absence of reactive gas. In addition, special attention was paid to the first stages of growth. The crystalline phases Cr, Cr2N, and CrN were identified by X -ray diffraction analysis as a function of the film nitrogen content. Finally, hardness measurements were performed and compared to coating structure and composition.
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