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

纳米复合材料及其性能轮廓一直是薄膜技术领域众多研究和研究项目的焦点。涂层的形态/结构和相组成的合成受到层生长过程中热力学平衡条件的限制，以及由此产生的对两个不相容相沉积的限制。因此，计划项目的目标是通过两相的局部分离合成来消除这些限制，从而首次能够实现几乎与材料无关的纳米复合材料的沉积。这将通过使用纳米颗粒注入装置与空气动力学透镜系统以及PVD溅射装置相结合来实现。采用传统的磁控溅射技术合成了由CrN组成的基质，同时注入了尺寸为20 nm的Ti/TiN纳米颗粒。首次利用模块化透镜阵列解决了由于施加不同的工作压力以及二维沉积问题而产生的挑战。研究的目的是通过改变纳米粒子的含量10、20和30at.%来对这类可混溶的纳米复合材料有一个基本的了解，并详细研究其物相组成、颗粒尺寸以及由此产生的摩擦机械性能。特别是，层状结构的形成机制以及纳米颗粒和基质材料之间可能出现的相界机制将导致对这类未知材料的理解。

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.