Effects of nitrogen flow on the microstructure and mechanical properties of (TiZrNbMoTa)N high-entropy nitride films by magnetron sputtering.

This article focuses on the synthesis and characterization of (TiZrNbMoTa)Nx high-entropy nitride (HEN) films prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering with varying nitrogen flow rates (FN). The study found that increasing FN led to a transition in film microstructure from coarse columnar grains to dense ultrafine grains, a decrease in deposition rate and film thickness, and the formation of a face-centered cubic (FCC) solid solution with binary and ternary nitrides. Mechanical properties such as hardness and elastic modulus peaked at FN = 60 SCCM, reaching 34.39 GPa and 400.97 GPa respectively, due to strong metal-nitrogen covalent bonding, grain refinement, and lattice distortion. Adhesion strength increased with nitrogen flow up to a point but declined at higher FN values due to reduced film uniformity and increased defects. These findings provide insights for designing high-performance high-entropy ceramic coatings suitable for demanding dry-cutting tool applications.