Microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties of CrA1YN coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering

CrAlYN coatings were synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering. The aim of this research is to study the influence of the nitrogen flow at constant total gas flows on the chemical, structural and tribo-mechanical properties of the CrAlYN coatings. The nitrogen flow has an important effect on the deposition growth rate, the crystalline structure and the mechanical properties of the CrAlYN coatings. AU the coatings present a NaCl fee lattice structure but increase in the nitrogen flow changes the coating texture. Coatings morphology also changes from a columnar to an equiaxial structure. Coating hardness decreases with increase in the nitrogen flow. AU the coatings studied showed a similar tribological behaviour with a mean friction coefficient against steel between 0.47 and 0.53 without showing a clear correlation with the coatings' mechanical properties.