Role of atomic layer deposited TiOxNy interlayer in tribological and corrosion properties of CrN coating

The growth defects in the sputtered CrN coatings can worsen their tribological and corrosion properties. To improve the above deficiency, the atomic layer deposited TiN was deposited on the sputtered CrN layer, oxidized and then again coated by CrN to form the sandwich-structured CrN/TiOxNy/CrN composite coating. The insertion of the TiOxNy interlayer resulted in (111) preferred orientation and the grain refinement of CrN crystals, leading to the improvement in its mechanical performance and corrosion resistance. As the thickness of the TiOxNy layer increased, the mechanical and corrosion properties of the composite coatings were further improved. The composite coating inserted with a 30 nm-thick TiOxNy interlayer delivered the greatest corrosion resistance, the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate as well as high hardness and adhesion strength, which could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the multilayered TiOxNy interlayer.