A study of VN/TiN multilayers grown by direct current magnetron sputtering is presented. The systems are produced by maintaining a constant thickness of 500 nm and using three, four, or five bilayers. The coatings are initially characterized using X-ray diffraction. We observe the formation of TiN and VN phases and obtain values of the texture and stress developed during their growth. The chemical composition of the coatings is analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A morphological analysis is carried out using atomic force microscopy, with a roughness of 1.57 nm obtained. The coefficient of friction is determined using the ball-on-disc method and is ~0.45 for all samples. It is found that the wear rate is improved with decreasing bilayers as a consequence of the higher interfacial density (number of interfaces per total thickness). Finally, the wear mechanisms are identified as abrasive and adhesive.

中文翻译：

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界面密度对 VN/TiN 多层膜摩擦学性能的影响

介绍了通过直流磁控溅射生长的 VN/TiN 多层膜的研究。该系统是通过保持 500 nm 的恒定厚度并使用三个、四个或五个双层来生产的。涂层最初使用 X 射线衍射表征。我们观察了 TiN 和 VN 相的形成，并获得了在它们生长过程中形成的织构和应力值。使用 X 射线光电子能谱分析涂层的化学成分。使用原子力显微镜进行形态分析，获得的粗糙度为 1.57 nm。摩擦系数是使用球盘法确定的，所有样品的摩擦系数约为 0.45。发现由于更高的界面密度（每总厚度的界面数量），磨损率随着双层的减少而提高。