Structure and Tribological Characterization of TiB2/TiBN Multilayer Coatings Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

TiB 2 /TiBN multilayer coatings were deposited on Si(100) wafers by reactive magnetron sputtering technology. The microstructure and microhardness of the multilayer coatings have been studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and microhardness tester. The friction and wear behaviors of the multilayer coatings sliding against Al 2 O 3 balls were evaluated on a pin-on-disc tribometer under dry friction condition. The results showed that the single layer TiB 2 consists of a hexagonal TiB 2 phase with the strong (001) texture, and the Ti-B-N film is XRD-amorphous. Structural analysis confirmed that (001) preferential orientation of TiB 2 phase is reduced, and the crystal structure of TiBN existed in the structure of TiB 2 /TiBN multilayer coatings. The smallest friction coefficient and the best wear resistance were measured in TiB 2 /TiBN multilayer coatings with the modulation of 30 nm.