SUPERHARD NANOSTRUCTURED COATINGS BASED ON Ti-Hf-Si-N THEIR PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURE

New Superhard coatings based on Ti-Hf-Si-N featuring high physical and mechanical properties were fabricated. We employed a vacuum-arc source with HF stimulation and a cathode sintered from Ti-Hf-Si. Nitrides were fabricated using atomic nitrogen (N) or a mixture of Ar/N, which were leaked-in a chamber at various pressures and applied to a substrate potentials. RBS, SIMS, GT-MS, SEM with EDXS, XRD, and nanoindentation were employed as analyzing methods of chemical and phase composition of thin films. We also tested tribological and corrosion properties. The resulting coating was a two-phase, nanostructured nc-(Ti, Hf)N and �. -Si3N4. Sizes of substitution solid solution nanograins changed from 3.8 to 6.5 nm, and an interface thickness surrounding �. -Si3N4 varied from 1.2 to 1.8 nm. Coatings hardness, which was measured by nanoindentation was from 42.7 GPa to 48.6 GPa, and an elastic modulus was E = (450 to 515) GPa. The films stoichiometry was defined for various deposition conditions. It was found that in samples with superhard coatings of 42.7 to 48.6GPa hardness and lower roughness in comparison with other series of samples, friction coefficient was equal to 0.2, and its value did not change over all depth (thickness) of coatings. A film adhesion to a substrate was essentially high and reached 25MPa.