DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES FOR PRODUCING PSEUDO-ALLOYS AND THIN NANOCRYSTALLINE COATINGS

The article discusses the latest trends in the creation of pseudo-alloys and nanocrystalline thin coatings (films). The application areas of these materials are briefly reviewed. The main emphasis is placed on the consideration of tungsten-copper and nitride coatings obtained by vacuum-plasma technologies. It is emphasized that a common feature of these groups of materials is the non-equilibrium conditions of their production with the formation of a metastable structural state. It has been shown that thin films, including nanocrystalline, amorphous, and pseudo-alloys, can be obtained from almost any material, and the applications for thin film coatings are very wide. Thin film deposition in vacuum involves three stages: generation of atoms or molecules, their transfer to a substrate, and film growth on the substrate surface. The composition and structure of the film depend on the starting materials, the method, and the deposition conditions that ensure the required energy and mass transfer of the material. It can be stated that vacuum plasma deposition technologies are the most maneuverable in terms of changing technological parameters. This group of technologies allows for stable results and fully meets the requirements of structural engineering of the surface of modern materials. A variant of classification of coatings by and the following main groups are identified: diamond-like, anti-reflective, antistatic, analytical, decorative, dielectric, indicator, wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, magnetic, contact, optical, reflective, magneto-optical, semiconductor, enlightening, piezoelectric, resistive, wind-absorbing, superconducting, heat-shielding, solid lubricant, electret.