TaN_x coatings were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering with different bias voltages. The growth morphology, crystalline structure, chemical bond structure, hardness and elastic modulus, adhesion strength and tribological performance of the coatings were studied as a function of the bias voltage. The results showed that an increasing bias voltage refines the coating grains and facilitates structure densification. Simultaneously, the structure of the TaN_x coatings transfers from a composite structure consisting of TaN and Ta₂N crystals, through a single composite mainly composed of the Ta₂N crystal, to an amorphous structure as the bias voltage increases from low to high, indicating that the phase composition of the TaN_x coatings can be varied by the bias voltage. The coating composed of Ta₂N crystal showed a good overall performance including enhanced hardness, enhanced adhesive strength, and good tribological performance with enhanced wear resistance and a low friction coefficient of 0.18.

In this paper, diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings with Si and O co-doping (Si/O-DLC) were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering using a gas mixture of C₂H₂, O₂ and Ar to sputter a silicon/graphite splicing target. The O content in the Si/O-DLC coatings was controlled by tuning the O₂ flux in the gas mixture. The composition, chemical bond structure, mechanical properties and tribological behavior of the coatings were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier infrared spectrometer, Raman spectroscopy, nanoindentation, a scratch tester and a ball-on-disk tribometer. The electrical resistivity of the Si/O-DLC coatings was also studied using the four-point probe method. The results show that the doping O tends to bond with Si to form a silicon–oxygen compound, causing a decrease in the sp³ content as well as the hardness of the coatings. The tribological performance of the coatings can be improved due to the formation of the silicon–oxygen compound, which can effectively reduce the friction coefficient. In addition, the insulating silicon–oxygen compound is doped into the C-C network structure, significantly improving the surface resistivity of the DLC coating with a low sp³ content. The Si/O-DLC coatings with good mechanical properties, tribological performance and electrical insulation properties might be used as protection and insulation layers for microelectronics.

介绍了一种同时利用椭偏仪和分光光度计精确测量薄膜光学常数的方法, 并详细比较了该方法与使用单一椭偏仪拟合结果的可靠性.采用可变入射角光谱型椭偏仪（VASE）表征了250—1700 nm波段辉光放电法沉积的类金刚石薄膜,研究发现当仅用椭偏参数拟合时,由于厚度与折射率、消光系数的强烈相关性,无法得到吸收薄膜光学常数的准确解.如果加入分光光度计测得的透射率同时拟合,得到的结果具有很好的惟一性.该方法无需设定色散模型即可快速拟合出理想的结果,特别适合于确定透明衬底上较薄吸收膜的光学常数.

ZrN_x films were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering with pure Zr target in different nitrogen partial pressure atmospheres ( ). The structure and composition of the thin films were characterized as a function of using scanning electron microscope, glancing angle X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The hardness, adhesive strength, and corrosion behavior of the coatings were measured by nanoindentation, microscratch, and potentiodynamic measurements in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The results show that the structure of the ZrN_x films changes from a nearly stoichiometric ZrN with a typical columnar structure to mixed phases composited of ZrN and α-ZrN_x with a dense glass structure as increases from 12% to 50%. The mechanical properties including hardness, elastic modulus, and adhesion decrease with increasing due to nonstoichiometric compound and glass phase structure of the coatings, while the dense glass structure significantly improves the corrosion inhibition.

A MoN_x coating serves as an effective wear protection layer and is crucial for the investigation of its tribological characteristics at various temperatures. This study examined the tribological characteristics of MoN_x coatings that were deposited through high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) in an Ar/N₂ environment with varying N₂ partial pressures. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the coatings were elucidated using scanning electron microscopy, grazing-incidence-angle X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and nanoindentation. The dry friction performances of the coatings at different heating temperatures were studied using a ball-on-disk tribometer. The MoN_x coating produced by HiPIMS was composed primarily of fcc−Mo₂N and featured a fine, dense column crystal with a maximum hardness of 28.8 GPa. The MoN_x coatings exhibited excellent lubrication and wear reduction properties at room temperature (RT). The dry friction performances of the MoN_x coatings at elevated temperatures were expected to depend on the growth of the MoO₃ tribolayer. At relatively low temperatures (300 °C and 400 °C), the MoO₃ tribolayer grew slowly and was not enough to provide good lubrication, causing increases in the dry friction of the coatings. However, the δ−MoN phase formed in the MoN_x coating deposited at a high N₂ partial pressure could facilitate the formation of MoO₃ and thus decreased the friction coefficient at 400 °C. At the relatively high heating temperature of 500 °C, however, the MoO₃ tribolayer grew so rapidly that the oxide layer became thick, resulting in an increase in the wear rate. It is believed that tuning the growth rate of MoO₃ via optimizing the composition and structure of the MoN_x coatings might be a useful way to improve the dry friction at various elevated temperatures.