Basic investigations for the synthesis of novel nanocomposite coatings using external nanoparticle injection

纳米复合材料及其性能特征一直是薄膜技术领域许多研究和当前研究项目的焦点。涂层形态/结构和相组成的合成受到层生长期间的热力学平衡条件的限制以及两个不混溶相的沉积的限制。这导致了可用涂层材料的限制，从而往往阻碍了纳米复合材料出色的摩擦机械性能的使用。因此，计划项目的方法旨在通过两个阶段的局部分离合成来消除这些限制，从而首次实现几乎与材料无关的纳米复合材料沉积。这将通过使用具有空气动力学透镜系统的纳米颗粒注入装置与PVD溅射装置的组合来实现。通过常规磁控溅射技术合成由CrN组成的基体，同时注入尺寸为20 nm的Ti / TiN纳米颗粒。通过利用模块化透镜阵列，首次解决了由所施加的不同工作压力以及二维沉积的问题所带来的挑战。研究的目的是通过改变纳米颗粒的含量为10、20和30 at.%，对可混溶纳米复合材料的类别产生基本的理解。并详细研究相组成、晶粒尺寸以及由此产生的摩擦机械性能。特别是，层结构的形成机制和可能发生在纳米颗粒和基质材料之间的相边界的机制将导致对这类未探索的材料的理解。

Nanocomposites as well as their property profile have been the focus of many investigations and current research projects in the field of thin-film technology. The synthesis of the coating morphology/ structure and phase composition is subject to the limitations of thermodynamic equilibrium conditions during the growth of the layer and the resulting restrictions for the deposition of two immiscible phases. This results in a limitation of usable coating materials and thus often impedes the use of the outstanding tribo-mechanical properties of nanocomposites.Therefore, the approach of the planned project targets at eliminating these limitations by means of a locally separated synthesis of the two phases, hence for the first time enabling an almost material-independent deposition of nanocomposites. This will be realized by using the combination of a device for nanoparticle injection with an aerodynamic lens system in combination with a PVD sputtering device. The matrix consisting of CrN is synthesized by means of conventional magnetron sputtering technology and the nanoparticles with a size of 20 nm Ti / TiN are injected simultaneously. The challenges resulting from the different working pressures applied combined with the problems of a two-dimensional deposition are solved for the first time by utilizing a modular lens array. The aim of the investigations is to generate a basic understanding of the class of miscible nanocomposites by changing the content of nanoparticles by 10, 20, and 30 at.% and to investigate the phase composition, grain sizes, as well as the resulting tribo-mechanical properties in detail. In particular, the mechanisms for the formation of the layer structure and mechanisms that might occur at the phase boundaries between the nanoparticles and matrix material will lead to an understanding of this unexplored class of materials.