Thermal stability of wurtzite $\mathrm{Zr_{1−x}Al_xN}$ coatings studied by in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction during annealing

We study the thermal stability of wurtzite (w) structure ZrAlN coatings by a combination of in situ high-energy x-ray scattering techniques during annealing and electron microscopy. Wurtzite structure Zr$_{1−x}$ Al $_x$N coatings with Al-contents from x = 0.46 to x = 0.71 were grown by cathodic arc evaporation. The stability of the w-ZrAlN phase depends on chemical composition where the higher Al-content coatings are more stable. The wurtzite ZrAlN phase was found to phase separate through spinodal decomposition, resulting in nanoscale compositional modulations, i.e., alternating Al-rich ZrAlN layers and Zr-rich ZrAlN layers, forming within the hexagonal lattice. The period of the compositional modulations varies between 1.7 and 2.5 nm and depends on the chemical composition of the coating where smaller periods form in the more unstable, high Zr-content coatings. In addition, Zr leaves the w-ZrAlN lattice to form cubic ZrN precipitates in the column boundaries