Influence Bias Voltage and Working Pressure on the Microstructure, Scratch and Wear Properties of TiAlZrN Films Prepared by CFUBMS Technique
Yaşar Sert Levent KARA Tevfik Küçükömeroğlu
AbstractIn this paper, TiAlZrN coatings were deposited on AISI H13 steels with various bias voltage and working pressure ranging between -50 V to -90 V and 2 x10-3 to 3x10-3 Torr respectively. Closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering technique which is a kind of PVD was used for the deposition process. Among the different PVD methods, closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering method is one of the most successful and sophisticated technology for the metal, alloy and ceramic coatings to control microstructure, surface morphology and phase composition. After the deposition process, the effects of bias voltage and working pressure on the microstructure, hardness, scracth and wear properties were investigated by SEM, EDS, nanoindentation, scratch and wear volume measurements. All produced films exhibited classic surface of granular structure and the cross-sectional morphology showed that all films have columnar structure which was altered from massive columnar to denser columnar structure due to increase the bias voltage and working pressure. TiAlZrN films deposited at -90 V and 3x10-3 Torr exhibited dentest structure, besides possessed the best nano hardness, scratch and wear properties. The highest nano hardness of 42 GPa is obtained under highest bias and working pressure. Also compared untreated AISI H13 steel which is the substrate, the produced TiAlZrN with aforementioned coating parameters considerably enhance the wear resistance.