Properties of CrN/Mo2N nano-multilayer films synthesized by multi-cathodic arc ion plating system

Abstract CrN/Mo 2 N films were deposited by multi-cathodic arc ion plating on Si (100), 304 stainless steel and cemented carbide substrates with various bilayer periods (10–105 nm). X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a face-centered-cubic structure of CrN and Mo 2 N sublayers. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) was used to probe the elemental composition and their depth profiling. The multilayer structures exhibited characteristic oscillating RBS spectra. The nanohardness slightly increased at larger bilayer periods and the highest value of 29 GPa was obtained at the bilayer period of 105 nm. A correlation was realized among compressive residual stress, critical load, and nanohardness. The highest critical load L c2 of 65–70 N was found for the coatings on cemented carbide substrates with the minimal bilayer period of 12 nm. The coefficients of friction and wear rates of the coatings were in the range of 0.29–0.35 and (6–8) × 10 − 7  mm 3 /N·m, respectively.