High-Resolution Investigation of the Interfaces in Cathodic Arc Evaporated TiN/CrAlN Multilayer Coatings

TiN/CrAlN multilayer coatings were synthesized by cathodic arc deposition using 2-fold substrate rotation and alternating targets. The effect of substrate rotation on the layer sequence, elemental fluctuations and interface quality was examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. The layers exhibited semi-coherent growth across the interfaces. Minor interface roughness and elemental intermixing limited to below 2 nm at the interface could be observed. Further, the formation of a Ti-enriched sublayer in the Cr1−xAlxN as a result of the 2-fold rotation was identified.