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Published on: September 11, 2018
Processing, structure, and properties of nanostructured multifunctional tribological coatings
Jianliang Lin1, In-Wook Park, Brajendra Mishra
1Advanced Coatings and Surface Engineering Laboratory (ACSEL), Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
|November 18, 2009
Summary
This study explores advanced multicomponent thin films, including Ti-Si-B-C-N, using magnetron sputtering. Optimized pulsed ion bombardment enhances film properties for superior tribological applications, demonstrating high hardness and low wear rates.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Surface Engineering
- Tribology
Background:
- Development of advanced nanostructured and nanocomposite multicomponent thin films is crucial for demanding tribological applications.
- Tailoring film chemistry, microstructure, and properties requires precise control over deposition parameters, particularly ion bombardment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the synthesis and characterization of binary, ternary, quaternary, and quinternary multicomponent films.
- To explore the influence of pulsed ion energy and ion flux on film structure, mechanical, and tribological properties.
- To optimize film deposition for achieving low friction coefficients and wear rates.
Main Methods:
- Deposition of films using unbalanced magnetron sputtering (UBMS) and closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering (CFUBMS).
- Characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoindentation, and microtribometry.
- Control of pulsed ion energy and ion flux through pulsing target power and adjusting substrate bias.
Main Results:
- Ti-Si-B-C-N coatings exhibited hardness of ~35 GPa, high H/E ratio (0.095), and low wear rates (3-10 x 10^-6 mm³/(Nm)).
- Optimized pulsed ion bombardment significantly improved the structure and properties of TiC-a:C and Cr-Al-N coatings.
- TiC-a:C coatings achieved hardness of 35-40 GPa and a COF of 0.2-0.22 at 70-100 eV ion energy; Cr-Al-N coatings reached 41 GPa hardness and low wear at 122 eV.
Conclusions:
- Pulsed magnetron sputtering offers effective control over ion energy and flux for tailoring thin film properties.
- Careful control of pulsed ion energy and substrate bias is essential to prevent excessive ion bombardment and associated defects.
- The synthesized multicomponent films demonstrate significant potential for advanced tribological applications requiring high hardness and wear resistance.
