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

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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.