EFFECT OF COATING ARCHITECTURES ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AL–N/CR–N MULTILAYER COATINGS

Abstract

Two coating architectures with different deposition times (Dts) for each layer and N2 gas flow rate ratio η
(N2/(N2 + Ar)) of Al– N/Cr– N multilayer coatings were developed utilizing unequal magnetron responsive sputtering.
Utilizing a same coating process, two coating architectures were deposited on the high speed tool steel and Si wafer, one
starting with an Al– N layer composed as the Al– N/Cr– N/…/Cr– N/Al– N (design A) and the other starting with a Cr– N
layer composed as the Cr– N/Al– N/…/Al– N/Cr– N (design C). The N2 gas stream rate proportion η was set at 15%, 20%
and 25% to control the Cr– N and Al– N layer stages. The present investigation is based on effect of coating
architectures on hardness, young’s modulus of coating