Adding Si into transition-metal nitride hard coatings is known to enhance mechanical properties and oxidation resistance. At the same time, however, Si promotes precipitation of wurtzite-structure AlN in Ti_1-xAl_xN during deposition by magnetron sputtering or cathodic-arc-evaporation, resulting in a decrease in layer hardness. Here, we report nanocomposite films of metastable cubic NaCl-structure TiAlSiN deposited using a hybrid approach combining high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) from an Al target with DC magnetron sputtering (DCMS) from TiSi targets (Al-HiPIMS/TiSi-DCMS) in which a substrate bias is synchronized to the metal-rich portion of each HiPIMS pulse. The Al/(Al + Ti) ratio is varied from 0.26 to 0.77 by adjusting the TiSi target power, while the Si content ranges from 7.6 to 10.3 at.%. Cubic-structure TiAlSiN solid solutions are obtained with a maximum Al/(Al + Ti) atomic ratio of 0.59 and 9.4 at.% Si. Excess Si segregates to grain boundaries to form a SiN_x-rich tissue phase. The hardness H and elastic modulus E of cubic TiAlSiN films increase from H = 19.4 ± 1.7 and E = 322 ± 12 for TiAlSiN layer with Al/(Al + Ti) = 0.26 to H = 37.3 ± 1.3 and E = 388 ± 12 GPa for TiAlSiN layer with Al/(Al + Ti) = 0.59. The TiAlSiN films also exhibit a low intrinsic stress (−0.55 to 0.62 GPa), resulting in a combination of properties: superior hardness and low stress.

已知将Si添加到过渡金属氮化物硬质涂层中可增强机械性能和抗氧化性。然而，与此同时，Si促进Ti _1-x Al _x中纤锌矿结构AlN的析出在通过磁控溅射或阴极电弧蒸发进行沉积期间，N导致层硬度降低。在这里，我们报告了使用一种混合方法沉积的亚稳立方NaCl结构TiAlSiN纳米复合膜，该方法将Al靶的高功率脉冲磁控溅射（HiPIMS）与TiSi靶的DC磁控溅射（DCMS）相结合（Al-HiPIMS / TiSi-DCMS ），其中衬底偏置与每个HiPIMS脉冲的富金属部分同步。通过调节TiSi目标功率，Al /（Al + Ti）之比在0.26至0.77之间变化，而Si含量在7.6至10.3at。％之间。获得具有最大Al /（Al + Ti）原子比为0.59和9.4 at。％Si的立方结构TiAlSiN固溶体。过量的Si偏析到晶界以形成富含SiN _x的组织相。硬度 对于Al /（Al + Ti）= 0.26的TiAlSiN层，立方TiAlSiN薄膜的H和弹性模量E从H  = 19.4±1.7和E = 322±12增加到TiAlSiN的H  = 37.3±1.3和E  = 388±12 GPa Al /（Al + Ti）= 0.59。TiAlSiN膜还表现出低的固有应力（-0.55至0.62 GPa），从而具有多种特性：优异的硬度和低应力。