Thermal Stability of Nanoscale Multilayered ZrAlN/ZrB2 Coatings

Abstract

Multilayered ZrAlN/ZrB2 coatings were synthesized using a multi-cathode dc magnetron sputtering technique. Effects of substrate bias and N2 gas partial pressure on structural, mechanical properties, as well as thermal stability were investigated. Low bias was beneficial to synthesis of nanolayers with weak internal stress. The nanolayers deposited at lower N2 partial pressure and substrate bias exhibited good high-temperature stability in the crystalline and layer structure, and hardness values were increased significantly after high-temperature annealing.