Mechanical and Chemical Characterization of NbN x Coatings Deposited

Abstract Niobium nitride coatings have many potential thin film applications due to their chemical inertness, good mechanical properties, temperature stability and superconducting properties. In this study, NbN x coatings were prepared by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assisted DC magnetron sputtering method on the surface of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steels. Effects of target power were studied on mechanical and chemical properties of the coatings. The coating structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning elec-tron microscopy (FESEM). The coating hardness was measured by micro-knoop hardness tester. The coating thickness was measured using a 3D profiler and wear characteristics were estimated using a ball-on-disk wear tester. The thickness of the NbN x coatings increased linearly from 300 nm to 2000 nm as the Nb target power increased, and it showed over HK 0.005 4000 hardness above Nb target power of 300 W. Hexagonal δ'-NbN phase and cubic δ-NbN phase were observed in the coating films and the hardness of the NbN x coatings was higher when these two peaks were mixed. The corrosion resistance increased with the increase of the Nb target power