Multi-principal-element nitride (MPEN) has great potential in the application of cutting tool protective coatings. However, the investigation of the nanostructured MPEN coatings is still insufficient. In this paper, we study (AlCrNbSiTi)N MPEN coatings deposited at various bias voltages ranging from −50 to −200 V, using RF magnetron sputtering technique. The microstructure and mechanical performance e of the coatings are systematically investigated. The results show that the (AlCrNbSiTi)N coating forms an FCC crystal structure and exhibits columnar grains. In the elongated grain, there exists a nanocomposite structure with (AlCrNbTi)N nanograins surrounded with crystallized Si₃N₄ interfaces. The mechanical performance and wear resistance of the coating is enhanced first and then degraded with the increasing bias voltage. The coating deposited at −150 V exhibits the highest hardness and elastic modulus of 39.8 and 436.7 GPa, respectively, and has the lowest wear rate of 6.7 × 10⁻⁶ mm³·N⁻¹·m. These results show that the (AlCrNbSiTi)N coating is a competitive candidate for protective coating applications.

多主元素氮化物（MPEN）在刀具保护涂层的应用中具有巨大的潜力。然而，对纳米结构 MPEN 涂层的研究仍然不足。在本文中，我们使用射频磁控溅射技术研究了在 -50 至 -200 V 的各种偏置电压下沉积的 (AlCrNbSiTi)N MPEN 涂层。系统地研究了涂层的微观结构和机械性能e。结果表明，(AlCrNbSiTi)N涂层形成FCC晶体结构并呈现柱状晶粒。在拉长的晶粒中，存在着由(AlCrNbTi)N纳米晶粒包围的纳米复合结构，周围是结晶的Si ₃ N ₄接口。涂层的机械性能和耐磨性随着偏压的增加先增强后降低。在-150 V下沉积的涂层硬度最高，弹性模量分别为39.8和436.7 GPa，磨损率最低，为6.7×10 ^-6  mm ³ ·N ^-1 ·m。这些结果表明，(AlCrNbSiTi)N 涂层是保护涂层应用的竞争候选者。