Average Residual Stresses in Hard Physical Vapor Deposited (PVD) Coatings

Abstract

In this study we determined average residual stresses in hard nitride PVD AlCrN, TiAlN and TiCN coatings through simultaneous measurement of length variation in thin-walled tubular substrates and of the curvature of plate substrates. A device for measurement of the length of the tube was developed. Inside the depositing chamber the tube and the plate were fixed parallel in the relation to the axis of the rotating cathode. One batch of plate samples was produced by deposition on front surface (facing the cathode) and the other batch, by deposition on back surface (with back to the cathode). The cross-sectional microstructure and thickness of the coatings were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thicknesses of the coatings deposited on front and back surfaces of the plates and on the tube were significantly different. The values of average compressive residual stresses, determined by both methods, were very high irrespective of coating thickness. It was found that the values of compressive residual stresses in the coating were dependent on the shape of the substrate and on its position in the relation to the axis of the rotating cathode.