Stress profiles and thermal stability of CrxNy films deposited by magnetron sputtering

CrN and Cr2N coatings were synthesized by magnetron sputtering. The limiting factors for the application of these coatings for protecting cutting tools are their lack of adhesion and thermal stability. Therefore, a study of these two parameters has been conducted. First, the influence of the film thickness on the compressive stress and also on the mechanical and structural properties of the films were studied. The results showed that for both phases the stress is not homogeneous with the film thickness. Second, the thermal stability was investigated by post deposition annealing in nitrogen. It reveals that CrN and Cr2N films are stable when heated at temperatures up to 1000 K.