Comparative Study of Nanostructured Multilayer Cr/(Cr/a-C)ml Coatings Deposited on HS6-5-2 Steel by Magnetron Sputtering

Comparative analysis of nanostructured multilayer Cr/(Cr/a-C)ml coatings on HS6-5-2 steel was carried out. The coatings were deposited at various chromium target power values using PVD technology, particularly the magnetron sputtering method. The effect of different technological regimes on the properties of the nanostructured multilayer Cr/(Cr/a-C)ml coatings was studied. Identical characterization methods were used for the three types of coatings obtained. Cross-sections of the coated samples were prepared in order to directly determine the thickness of the resulting coatings, their uniformity, and the presence of defects or imperfections, both at the substrate-coating interface and within the coatings themselves. Calotest and Daimler-Benz adhesion test were also performed to evaluate the coated layers' thickness and evaluate their adhesion strength. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses were carried out to define the chemical composition of the multilayered coatings. To evaluate the hardness and modulus of elasticity of the resulting coatings, nanoindentation measurements were also conducted. The data obtained under the three different deposition regimes were analyzed and compared, which allowed us to assess the influence of the chromium target power during the deposition process on the properties of the obtained coatings.