Orientation dependence of the fracture mechanisms in (V,Al)N coatings determined by micropillar compression

• Published in: Journal of materials research Vol. 37; no. 4; pp. 1003 - 1017
• Main Authors: Schoof, Markus R., Gibson, James S. K.-L., Karimi Aghda, Soheil, Hans, Marcus, Schneider, Jochen M., Korte-Kerzel, Sandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 28.02.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Applied and Technical Physics; Biomaterials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Direct current; Fracture mechanics; Fracture toughness; Inorganic Chemistry; Magnetron sputtering; Materials Engineering; Materials research; Materials Science; Microstructure; Nanotechnology; Physical vapor deposition; Protective coatings; Shearing; Transition metals; Wear resistance; Direct current magnetron sputtering; High-power pulsed magnetron sputtering; Vanadium aluminium nitride; Micropillar compression
• ISSN: 0884-2914; 2044-5326
• DOI: 10.1557/s43578-022-00506-4

Transition metal aluminium nitrides produced by physical vapour deposition are widely used as hard, protective coatings in the manufacturing industries. To optimise coatings wear resistance while maintaining fracture toughness, an understanding of the mechanisms linking the microstructure and the orientation-dependent fracture behaviour is required. (V,Al)N coatings were synthesised by direct current and high power pulsed magnetron sputtering. Uniaxial compression testing was performed using micropillars oriented between 0° and 90° with respect to the growth direction to assess the effect of microstructure on the fracture behaviour. We show here that different fracture mechanisms are active depending on the alignment of grains and loading direction. The fracture behaviour could be divided into three classes associated with column buckling, decohesion or shearing and no significant difference between the specimens induced by the deposition process could be observed. Graphical abstract