Effect of Film Thickness on the Morphology, Hardness and Residual stress of Cr-V-N Thin Films
Linda AISSANI1, 2*, Abderrahmane CHERIET3
1Mater sciences Department, ABBES Laghrour-Khenchela University P.O1252, 40004, Algeria.
2Laboratory of Active Components and Materials, Larbi Ben M'Hidi University, Oum El Bouaghi 04000, Algeria. e-mail*: [email protected]
3 Laboratory of studies and development of the Semiconducting and Dielectric Materials, Laghouat University, Algeria. e-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Chromium alloys have been used as common materials for industrial technologies for several decades, due to their good mechanical properties, corrosion and wear resistances [1–
3]. Currently, all steel surfaces are protected with hard coatings. For example, the addition of third transition metals such as Ti, Al, C, V, Si…, to binary chromium nitrides enhanced their structural, mechanical and tribological properties. The influence of film thickness on the structure, surface morphology, and mechanical properties of CrVN coatings was investigated by DRX, EDS, SEM, Nanoindentation. With increasing film thickness, the film structure changed with the coexistence of chromium and vanadium nitrides mixture. The films formed a (Cr, V) N solid solution where V atoms substitute Cr atoms. Lattice parameters increased from 4.11 to 4.42 Å with the grain refinement. The mechanical parameters are largely improved in comparison with thin films, especially up to 1μm with a smooth surface.
Keywords: CrVN; Magnetron sputtering; Microstructure; Hardness, Stress.
