Microstructural and Mechanical Characteristics of TiZrAlN Nanocomposite Thin Films by CFUBMS

Quaternary TiZrAlN nanocomposite thin films were synthesized by Closed-Field Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering (CFUBMS), and their microstructure and mechanical characteristics were examined. The grain refinement of the TiZrAlN nanocomposite thin films was controlled by adjusting the partial pressure. The hardness of the film varied with the partial pressure and the maximum value was obtained approximately 47 GPa. It was also confirmed that there is a critical value of the grain size() to need maximum hardness.