OPTIMIZATION OF THE CONTACT MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF MAGNETRON-SPUTTERED NITROGEN-DOPED AISI-316L PHYSICALLY VAPOR-DEPOSITED COATINGS

The reactive magnetron sputtering technique adopted produces perfectly adhering nitrogen-doped AISI 316L coatings on construction and stainless steel substrates (AISI 316L and 4135). Surface mechanical testing was done by indentation and sclerometric, frictional, low cycle fatigue. The major damage parameters adopted were the critical coating cracking loads, track depression and lateral pile-up volumes. It is shown that the detrimental effect of growth defects on coating brittleness can be controlled to some extent by optimizing substrate surface treatment prior to and bias voltage during deposition.