Synthesis of Single-Layer ZrN-Coatings Using Vacuum-Arc Plasma-Assisted Deposition with Plasma Flow Filtering

Abstract

The coatings based on ZrN are formed by the vacuum-arc plasma-assisted process under the conditions of plasma filtering from the droplet phase. A comprehensive investigation of the coating properties, elemental and phase compositions, and structure is performed by the methods of present-day materials science. The modes of deposition, at which the resulting coatings exhibit the lowest roughness (0.03 μm), the highest hardness (up to 30.5 GPa), a relatively low friction coefficient (0.39), and a low wear parameter (up to 2.2·10^–6 mm³/(N·m)), are determined. Using the X-ray diffraction data, it is identified that the coatings consist of ZrN-crystallites with a cubic-lattice.