Post-deposition annealing effects on microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of AlCrN films

The post-deposition annealing of AlCrN films was conducted in an atmospheric environment for 2 h, with annealing temperatures ranging from 25 to 1000 & DEG;C. The microstructure, mechanical, and tribological properties were systematically investigated as a function of the annealing temperature. The results show that the AlN phase in the film began to oxidize at 600 & DEG;C, resulting in deterioration of the film's toughness and resistance to plastic deformation. Subsequently, the wear resistance also deteriorated, with the wear rate being nearly 16 times that of the as-deposited film. At 800 & DEG;C, the AlN obviously underwent oxidization to form Al2O3. The high temperature annealing promoted the coalescence of Cr on the film surface and caused a reaction with the Al2O3 to form a replacement solid solution of Cr-O-Al, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the annealed films. At the same time, the tribological properties of the films were not significantly deteriorated by annealing at temperatures other than 600 & DEG;C, similar to those of the films without any annealing treatment.& COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The post-deposition annealing of AlCrN films was investigated, and it was found that oxidation occurred at 600℃, leading to decreased toughness and resistance to plastic deformation as well as deteriorated wear resistance. At 800℃, obvious oxidation of AlN and the formation of Al2O3 were observed. High temperature annealing promoted the coalescence of Cr on the film surface and the formation of a replacement solid solution of Cr-O-Al, improving the mechanical properties of the annealed films. The tribological properties of the films were not significantly affected by annealing at temperatures other than 600℃.