Structural and mechanical properties of magnetron-sputtering-deposited Ta- and Al- based coatings – a comparative analysis

Abstract A comprehensive evaluation of the structure and the nano-mechanical characteristics of single and two-layer nano-structured coatings AlN/Al 2 O 3 , TaN/Ta 2 O 5 grown on the surface of metallic materials. The formation of a two-layer structure improves the mechanical and tribological properties of the coating-substrate system, such as the plastic deformation resistance and anti-wear performance. The results indicate that the proposed two-layer nanostructured nitride-oxide coatings based on aluminum and tantalum are promising candidates for biomedical applications.