Influence of the PVD sputtering method on structural characteristics of SiCN-coatings — Comparison of RF, DC and HiPIMS sputtering and target configurations

Si–C–N based materials exhibit promising properties such as excellent oxidation resistance and thermal stability even at temperatures above 1300 °C, thus making them promising candidates for high temperature applications. The properties of SiCN based coatings strongly depend upon the synthesis method and the synthesis parameters. In the present study, SiCN coatings were deposited by RF, DC and HiPIMS sputtering. Beyond this, the target configuration was varied for DC and HiPIMS sputtering. The coatings were characterized regarding their chemical, structural, mechanical and thermal properties. Since the SiCN coatings are amorphous, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy as well as XPS were used to gather structural information. The structural and the thermal properties show a significant dependency on the sputtering method and target configuration, while the mechanical and chemical properties are only slightly affected.