Synthesis and investigation of structural-mechanical-tribological properties of c-BN based BN thin films

Year 2017, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 11 - 17, 16.03.2017

İhsan Efeoğlu , Yaşar Totik , Ayşenur Keleş , Kıvılcım Ersoy , Göksel Durkaya

Abstract

c-BN films are
candidate material to diamond due to their promising properties. Although some
properties of c-BN films are better than diamond, adhesion properties between
the substrate and the film are very poor. In this study, c-BN films were
deposited by closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system onto 4140
steels in Ar/N₂ atmosphere. The c-BN films coated in three different
N₂ flow rates. The coated specimens were characterized by SEM and
X-ray diffraction techniques. The bonding state of B, N and C elements were
obtained using XPS. The mechanical properties of the c-BN films were tested by
micro-indentation. The adhesion properties between substrate and the film were
investigated by using scratch test. The tribological properties were carried
out using pin-on disc in atmospheric conditions. Our results showed that the
c-BN films exhibited very dense and columnar microstructure. The maximum
critical load was read 23 N in the softest c-BN film. The maximum and minimum
hardness were measured 69 GPa and 33 GPa, respectively. When the hardness was
increased the friction coefficient was decreased. The lowest friction
coefficient (0.15) was obtained from the hardest film and the highest friction
coefficient (0.65) was obtained from the lowest hardness. 

Keywords

Magnetron sputtering, c-BN, Friction, Critical load

References

• Audronis M., Valiulis A. V., Silickas P., Recent Developments in the Deposition of c-BN Coatings, Mater. Sci. (Medziagotyra), 10, 152-156, 2004.
• Jimenez I., Torres R., Caretti I., Gago R., Albella J. M., A review of monolithic and multilayer coatings within the boron-carbon-nitrogen system by ion-beam-assisted deposition, J. Mater. Res., 27, 743-764, 2012.
• Zhang W. J., Chong Y. M., Bello I., Lee S. T., Nucleation, growth and characterization of cubic boron nitride (cBN) films, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 40, 6159-6174, 2007.
• Ma X. Y., Yue J. S., He D. Y., Chen G. G., Characterization of cubic boron nitride thin films grown on different substrates, Mater. Lett., 36, 206-209, 1998.
• Klett A., Freudenstein R., Kulisch W., Dependence of the stress of c-BN films on the major deposition parameters: Theoretical and experimental studies, Thin Solid Films, 398, 130-136, 2001.
• Ye J., Ulrich S., Zlebert C., Stuber M., Stress reduction of cubic boron nitride films by oxygen addition, Thin Solid Films, 517, 1151-1155, 2008.
• Ulrich S., Ye J. A., Stuber M., Influence of Ar-N-2 gas composition on the magnetron-sputter deposition of cubic boron nitride films, Surf. Coat. Technol., 205, S96-S98, 2010.
• Caicedo J. C., Caicedo H. H., Aperador W., TiN BCN/BN (n)/c-BN system improves the surface properties of machining tools used in industrial applications, Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol., 77, 819-830, 2015.
• Teer D. G., Magnetron Sputter Ion Plating, U.S. Patent, 5,556,519, 1996.
• Cicek H., Baran O., Demirci E. E., Tahmasebian M., Totik Y., Efeoglu I., The effect of nitrogen flow rate on TiBN coatings deposited on cold work tool steel, J. Adhes. Sci. Technol., 28, 1140-1148, 2014.