Properties of CrN/TiN Multilayer Films With Nanoscale Layer Thickness

Chromium nitride (CrN)/titanium nitride (TiN) multilayer films at nanoscale layer thickness were prepared using a combination of reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and pulsed magnetron sputtering. Each layer thickness was adjusted by controlling each deposition time. The hardness and Young’s modulus of the multilayer films, which were measured using nanoindentation technique, did not vary significantly with layer thickness. The film hardness ranged between 22 and 24.5 GPa, and the Young modulus was between 300 and 330 GPa. On the contrary, the compressive stress of the multilayer films gradually decreased with the increase in the TiN layer thickness. The friction coefficient of the multilayer film did not depend on the CrN layer thickness, but it reduced drastically to 0.2–0.3 with the increase in the TiN layer thickness in the range of the TiN layer thickness less than about 2 nm.