Development and Study of the Properties of Impact-Resistant Ceramic Nanocomposite Coatings for Silicon

The results of studies of the microstructure, phase state, and physicomechanical properties of 3 μm thick Al–Si–N and Zr–Y–O coatings obtained by pulsed magnetron sputtering on the surface of single-crystal m-Si are reported. It was found that for Al–Si–N and Zr–Y–O coatings the light transmittance in the visible range of the spectrum reaches 83 and 78%, respectively. It was shown that the crack resistance of m-Si samples with protective coatings is two to three times higher than that for the initial silicon samples. The results of laboratory tests of the resistance of the samples to impact loads on interaction with a flow of high-speed (5 – 7 km/sec) solid microparticles of Fe showed that 3 μm thick protective coatings on m-Si samples makes it possible to suppress surface erosion of the latter by preventing the formation of fine craters.