Scratch resistance of platinum–vanadium single and multilayer systems

The effects of annealing on coating morphology and scratch resistance have been studied in several single and multilayered Pt–V coated systems. The changes in coating morphology included the formation of distinctive “square shape precipitates”, increased surface roughness, coating thickening and cracking. The results show that scratch resistance was affected by coating thickness, the sequence of deposited layers and Pt–V phases induced by annealing. The scratch resistance was improved for all coated systems by annealing. However, there is an indication that a large volume fraction of PtV3 formed at 900 °C/45 min significantly increased the critical load at which the coating failed. This result will be the base for further study on the development of targeted phases to improve the surface characteristics for specific coating applications.