Page 415 - Handbook of Materials Failure Analysis

2 Influence of Deposition Parameters on PVD Coating Properties 413

The aim of this review is to present the influence of deposition parameters on
PVD coating properties, the influence of PVD coatings deposition on the strength
of coating-substrate system, and to present deformation mechanisms of mono-
and multi-layers PVD coating. Moreover, there is presented an influence of PVD
coatings deposition on fatigue strength and degradation caused by erosion.

2 INFLUENCE OF DEPOSITION PARAMETERS ON PVD
COATING PROPERTIES
Deposition parameters (substrate temperature, gas pressure, bias voltage, argon and
nitrogen flow rate, ion energy) influence structural (crystalline size, lattice parame-
ter, number and size of defects, grain size, coating density, coating morphology) and
mechanical (hardness, adhesion, fracture toughness) properties. Some relations
between deposition parameters and coating properties are presented in Figure 16.1.
An influence of each deposition parameter is discussed in detail below.
Deposition parameters, especially substrate temperature and sputter pressure,
have an influence on the growth of thin coatings (grain initiation and growth).
The most known model that shows the coating structure is the Thornton’s model
(Figure 16.2), despite the fact that some modifications of this model have been made
[37,38].

Crystalline size
lattice parameter
Coating morphology
(grain size, defects, density) Ion energy

Substrate temperature Hardness
bias voltage argon and
nitrogen flow rate
Fracture toughness
Stresses
residual, intrinsic

Adhession

FIGURE 16.1
Influence of deposition parameters on PVD coating properties.