A Comparative Study on the Influence of Al2O3-ZnO ALD Nanolaminates on the Properties of CrCN PVD Sputtered Coatings with Distinctive Morphologies and Microstructures

Chromium carbonitride (CrCN) coatings present the desired characteristics for improving the mechanical properties and the corrosion resistance of marine components. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of carbon insertion, using CH4 gas flow as the carbon precursor in magnetron sputtering, on the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the CrN coating. Moreover, the influence of the Al2O3-ZnO nanolaminates sealing layers deposited by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the properties of distinctive CrCN sputtered coatings (dense and columnar) is investigated. Structural, morphological, and topographical analyses were performed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. The nanoindentation measurements determined the mechanical properties and the electrochemical behavior was evaluated in a saline solution. The results revealed new important insights in the field of duplex treatment based on hybrid deposition using magnetron sputtering and ALD techniques.