Influence of thermal treatment on the behavior and composition of CrAlN coatings obtained by low-temperature technology
Abstract
Abstract CrAlN coatings were deposited using Close Field Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering (CFUBMS) at a low substrate temperature of 350 °C. This work investigates how post-deposition thermal treatment affects their mechanical behavior and microstructure using nanoindentation, SEM, and EDS. The coatings showed an increase in hardness from 22.7 GPa (as-deposited) to 24.4 GPa after annealing at 400–500 °C, attributed to grain densification. Above 600 °C, oxidation intensifies and leads to softening. The results define the thermal stability window of low-temperature CrAlN coatings and support their applicability in environments requiring both wear resistance and oxidation tolerance.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Metal and Thin Film Mechanics
Surface Treatment and Coatings
High Entropy Alloys Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Physics Conference Series
- Volume
- 3194
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 012004–012004
- Publication date
- 1 March 2026
- Language
- EN