Adhesive strength of CuCr alloy films evaluated by rolling contacting fatigue test

CuCr alloy films were prepared with co-sputtering without breaking vacuum after depositing diffusion barrier. Different bombardment energies were used during depositing CuCr alloy films. Rolling contact fatigue test was used to evaluate the adhesive strength of CuCr alloy films. The results indicate that the effects of diffusion barriers and bombardment energy on the adhesive strength can be sensitively evaluated by a rolling contact fatigue test. Diffusion barrier can enhance the adhesive strength, and the adhesion of CuCr/CrN was higher than that of CuCr/TiN. When bombarding energy was higher, the adhesive strength of CuCr/TiN films was higher due to the broader transition zone. Rolling contact fatigue test is sensitive to the interfacial characterization of CuCr alloy films and substrates.