The development of advanced machining techniques requires high-performance tool coatings. To improve the wear resistance and cutting performance of AlTiN coatings, a structure optimization strategy involving bias control and a nano-multilayer architecture strategy is presented. The investigated AlTiN coatings were deposited by cathodic arc evaporation and studied with regard to phase structure, hardness, adhesion, and tribological properties by a combination of X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, scratch, and ball-on-disk friction tests. A high bias potential (up to −120 V) with enhanced adatom mobility suppressed the formation of the wurtzite structure AlN in AlTiN. In addition, the epitaxial growth of Al_0.67Ti_0.33N on Al_0.5Ti_0.5N in the AlTiN nano-multilayer could also promote the single-phase structure. The hardness of AlTiN-based coatings with a dominated cubic structure was 3–4 GPa higher than conventional ones. In addition, the interlayer interfaces in the Al_0.67Ti_0.33N/Al_0.5Ti_0.5N multilayer could deflect the cracks and thus improve the fracture toughness. As a consequence, the Al_0.67Ti_0.33N/Al_0.5Ti_0.5N multilayer with enhanced mechanical properties obtained the lowest wear rate of 1.1 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/N·m and the longest cutting lifetime of 25 min during dry turning the SUS304 stainless steel.

Zn-Al film was prepared on biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) substrate via vacuum thermal evaporation. The microstructure and its correlation with sheet resistance of Zn-Al film were explored systematically. The results showed that the macromorphology of Zn-Al film was closely related to the surface topography of BOPP substrate. XRD and SEM analysis indicated that Zn-Al film displayed a columnar and strong textured structure of Zn (002). TEM results revealed that the film thickness was in the range of 20–25 nm, of which amorphous alumina was identified on/at the surface and interface, while Zn and a small amount of ZnO were detected in the middle. The amorphous alumina on the film surface prevented the further oxidation of Zn, and therefore helped to improve the stability of sheet resistance of the film. Nevertheless, the insulative alumina significantly decreased the film conductivity, which deteriorated the current handling ability of metallized film capacitors.

The solvation structure of electrolytes, particularly the distribution and composition of contact ion pairs (CIPs) and solvent-separated ion pairs (SSIPs), is a prominent focus in battery research, serving as a critical determinant for understanding and interpreting battery electrochemical behavior. In this work, a phosphate-enriched protective layer (ZAP) was fabricated on the Zn electrode via a simple displacement reaction to modify the adsorption properties of the Zn electrode, thereby influencing the composition of CIPs and SSIPs at the electrode–electrolyte interface. Experimental results revealed that the ZAP layer significantly reduced the overpotential for Zn deposition, particularly in low-concentration electrolytes and at high deposition currents. Through a series of characterization studies and theoretical calculations, it was found that the ion concentrations at the electrode–electrolyte interface played a pivotal role in governing interfacial electrochemistry, surpassing the influence of the CIP-to-SSIP ratio in the bulk electrolyte. Moreover, the ZAP layer could effectively suppress side reactions and enhance the cycling stability of batteries. This study introduces a simple and cost-effective approach for protecting Zn anodes and emphasizes the critical importance of interfacial ion concentrations in electrochemical analysis.

In the present study, copper (Cu) films were deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates using direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering technology. A systematic investigation was conducted on the effects of process parameters, such as target power, gas flow rate, and substrate temperature, on the microstructure and properties of copper films. The results showed that an increase in the target power resulted in enhanced film grain size, accompanied by a reduction in resistivity and an improvement in adhesion strength. Furthermore, resistivity increased monotonically with elevated gas flow rates, whereas the adhesion strength was found to achieve its maximum at a flow rate of 350 mL/min. In addition, substrate temperature variations had negligible influence on the film grain size and resistivity; nevertheless, the adhesion progressively decreased with increasing substrate temperature. A set of optimal parameters (3 kW, 350 mL/min, −15 °C) was determined based on the comprehensive evaluation of deposition efficiency, conductivity and adhesion performance. The Cu film prepared under these conditions exhibited low resistivity (8.37 × 10⁻⁸ Ω·m) and improved adhesion strength (166 gf/mm). Therefore, it is concluded that high performance of metallized Cu films could be achieved by fine-tuning deposition parameters.

This study investigates the optimization of cermet-modified layers (CML) on Ti6Al4V titanium alloy surfaces, prepared via laser sintering-assisted nitrogen reaction followed by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) post-treatment. The laser-sintered CML exhibited high residual tensile stresses (∼800 MPa), metastable α′-Ti phases, and dislocation cells, leading to high hardness but low ductility and crack susceptibility. HIP treatment at 900 °C and 150 MPa induced phase transformation from needle-like α′-Ti to homogenized α/β-Ti phases and promoted TiN (tetragonal) precipitation, reducing residual stresses by ∼8-fold and enhancing both plasticity and hardness (from 848 to 908 HV). The TiN/Ti interface evolved from a stacked-fault structure to a coherent boundary with a ∼1 nm amorphous transition layer, strengthening interfacial bonding and suppressing crack propagation. These microstructural changes resulted in a strength-toughness synergy, improving wear resistance by ∼25% at 25 °C and ∼3.6 times at 500 °C, attributed to enhanced TiN particle retention and a robust friction glaze layer. The findings provide insights into tailoring cermet-modified titanium alloys for superior tribological performance across a broad temperature range.

The effects of RF plasma treatments using different gases (Ar, O₂, and N₂) and processing parameters on the surface wettability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were systematically investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to characterize the evolution of surface topography and chemical composition. While all treatments enhanced hydrophilicity, the magnitude of improvement and the governing mechanisms were gas-dependent. Among them, O₂ plasma treatment exhibited the most pronounced effect: under optimal conditions (20 W, 80 s), the water contact angle (WCA) was reduced to 3.7°, indicating a superhydrophilic surface. This enhancement was primarily attributed to a substantial increase in surface oxygen content (O/C ratio) and the incorporation of strongly polar oxygen-containing functional groups, such as C=O and COOH. N₂ plasma offered moderate improvement via nitrogen-containing groups, while non-reactive Ar plasma relied primarily on physical etching, yielding the smallest enhancement. Analysis revealed that wettability evolution was dominated by increased polar surface energy from chemical functionalization, with surface roughness playing a synergistic role. These results demonstrate that optimizing plasma gas and parameters effectively controls PET wettability through the coupled regulation of surface chemistry and topography.